PORT ARE SUNK BY DEACON LEVELLER

A BATTLING performance from basement boys Southport wasn’t enough for the win as Roarie Deacon’s last-minute equaliser brought the Sandgrounders to the brink of relegation from the National League.

Two goals in six second-half minutes – an own goal and a superb Neil Ashton free kick – had helped Southport overturn Keiron Cadogan’s first-half opener.

But Sutton, themselves not yet clear of relegation fears, salvaged a point as Deacon hit a powerful drive inside the post and pushed the visitors one step closer to safety.

Southport manager Andy Preece described the late goal as ‘soul destroying’, saying: “I think we deserved to win on the performance, we played really well.

“We created a few opportunities and looked really comfortable into those last few minutes, but that game management has cost us this season.”

Sutton assistant manager Ian Baird, meanwhile, was highly critical of his side’s ‘lacklustre’ performance, adding: “We’ve scored in the 90th minute to salvage a point that probably on the day we didn’t deserve.

“Southport were excellent, sometimes sides that are probably already relegated can play with a bit of freedom, and they did that today.”

Southport were the more settled side early on but that crumbled on 25 minutes as Cadogan turned in a Deacon shot from three yards.

Southport struck next as Dan Spence, under no pressure, turned into his own net on 68 minutes only for the game to turn on its head six minutes later – Ashton placing a delicate free kick past Will Puddy to give the visitors the lead.

But Sutton persisted, and despite struggling to create chances late on, when one did present itself, it fell to the talismanic Deacon, who made no mistake to keep Sutton five points clear of danger.