Boss blasts ‘naive’ Sandgrounders Glad of the point but great chances went begging
SOUTHPORT were undone by three set-pieces on Tuesday as York City kept their unbeaten start to the National League North intact.
Port went ahead twice against a strong side in a game that burst into life in the second half.
It was Southport who started the stronger out of the two and had an opportunity to score inside 10 minutes, when Marcus Carver found Jordan Archer – newly returned to the club – on the edge of the box, but his rising effort sailed over the bar. York soon got the ball down and started playing themselves, but struggled to create anything meaningful in the final third.
Dan Hanford was then called into action in the 20th minute, when he scrambled across his goal to deny Akil Wright’s bullet header from point-blank range.
The Port opened the scoring in the 27th minute, when the York defence failed to clear Jack Doyle’s long throw into the box, with the returning Archer smashing home from 10 yards out.
The goal seemed to wake the travelling Minstermen up, but were having difficulties breaking through Port’s defence. York’s high-flying full-back Scott Barrow found himself with a couple of opportunities late in the first half, but was unable to find the target from 25 yards out.
The equaliser came in the 55th minute, when Captain Sean Newton’s freekick deflected off the wall and into the bottom-left corner.
The game was not level for long and it was the hosts who regained the advantage, after Niall Watson found the topleft corner with a wonderfully curled effort.
The game was once again level in the 68th minute, when Newton scored his second free-kick off the game, with a much cleaner strike than the first. Ten minutes later, the visitors took the lead for the first time when Harry Bunn turned in Olly Dyson’s cut-back, after a well worked set-piece routine.
The Sandgrounders pushed for a late equaliser, but the York defence stood strong and took the three points back to Bootham Crescent.
After the game Manager Liam Watson gave his verdict and accused his side of being ‘naive’, he said: “Horrible. Naive, once we went 2-1 up, you have an element of bad luck. The first equaliser is bad luck, the second is just naive from us.
“From three free kicks we’ve conceded three goals, and we conceded on Saturday from a free kick. I’m taking nothing away, York are a good side and we had a way we wanted to play against them. We wanted to be positive and play with three up front, allowing us to have the extra man in midfield but we never used the ball anywhere near as good as we should’ve done.”
However Watson was thrilled with Jordan Archer’s scoring return: “I really like Jordan as a lad. He really enjoyed his time here and he’s popular in the dressing room and I feel he’s at the age in his career where he needs to be playing. He seems to have a nice homely place for him here and it was nice to see him get off the mark. He’ll be an asset for us.”
Despite the defeat and the inevitable disappointment, Watson was able to see positives in his team’s ability to create chances: “To come away with nothing is really disappointing, the only positive is we actually looked like we were going to score more goals.’’
SOUTHPORT: Hanford, Challoner, Ali (Benjamin 82), Oliver, Anson, Doyle, Morgan, Bainbridge, Carver, Archer (Woods 68), Watson. Scorers: Archer, Watson
NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH
SOUTHPORT came away from the New Bucks Head with a point in an entertaining 1-1 draw on Saturday.
It was a result which before the game The Sandgrounders would have settled for – but after 90 minutes they were left with a feeling of disappointment that they hadn’t come home with maximum points.
Telford were reduced to ten men early in the second half but Southport couldn’t capitalise on the extra man advantage.
The first half saw Southport on the front foot but unable to find the killer pass to go in to the break ahead, a half the visitors dominated but were frustrated by a solid Telford back line.
The sending off came in the 51st minute when the Telford number 4, Jack Byrne, was shown a second yellow for what looked quite a soft foul.
Southport grabbed the lead in the 57th minute when a corner was swung in headed back by Mo Ali who most people thought had scored the goal before
Carver got the finishing touch close to the line.
Both goalkeepers earned their pay with Griffiths in the Telford goal particularly pulling off some good saves to keep his side in it.
It was Telford though who got the equaliser despite being a man down. Ali brought down the impressive Adam Walker and received a yellow card. From the resulting free kick Daniels struck a hard low effort around the wall to Hanford’s left and into the corner of the net.
Morgan and Benjamin went close to restoring the lead but it was not to be.
Telford were happy to settle for the point with the home ‘keeper receiving a yellow card for time wasting as they saw out the game.
Following the York City defeat on Tuesday, Port next host Spennymoor Town on Saturday.
Port’s game at Bradford PA, originally scheduled for next Monday, November 16, has been put back 24 hours to Tuesday, November 17, kick-off 7.45pm.
SOUTHPORT: Hanford, Oliver, Anson, Ali, Challoner, Doyle, Vassallo (Bainbridge 83), Benjamin, Morgan, Woods(Watson 89), Carver. Scorers: Carver 57 (Assist Ali) Unused Subs: Newell, Winnard & McMillan.