Southport hit back after heavy defeat
LIAM Watson praised his young Southport side for responding positively to Saturday’s surprise thumping at Chester with victory at Telford on Tuesday evening.
The Sandgrounders were stunned at the weekend as they fell to a 5-0 defeat on a miserable afternoon marred by inappropriate shouts aimed at the Assistant Referee and flares being set off by a small band of supporters.
The club could face punishment as a result of those actions.
But Tuesday saw a return of everything great about this Southport side as two Doug Tharme goals and a Jordan Archer header saw a return to winning ways.
Watson made just one change to the starting line up from Saturday with Dylan Vassallo replacing Liam Edwards.
The first goal came in the 32nd minute after a scramble in the six yard box, Tharme getting the decisive touch.
Southport created several good chances in the first half and could have gone in further ahead.
If the first goal was scrappy the second certainly wasn’t, Tharme getting on the end of a delightful Adam Doyle cross to plant a lovely header wide of the keeper in the 48th minute.
Telford enjoyed a brief spell of pressure but Southport were breaking at speed and Walton, Vassallo, Connor Woods and Archer all went close before Archer sealed the win with a header from a corner in the 84th minute, his 19th league goal for the club.
Watson felt the performance represented everything his side is about.
“We showed what we are and the minute we actually think that we’re good, we’re going to have problems,” he said.
“We won the game by hard work and endeavour, we’ve had to deal with some pretty good breaks by closing down.
“I never fudge anything, I always do my interviews – I don’t want to go on – but I’d never seen anything like Saturday and I can’t relate to it in any way compared to what I’d seen from these lads.
“When we lost to Kettering last week I backed them because they had a right good go – but I don’t know what happened on Saturday.
“I was uncertain as to what to say to them in the changing rooms so I tried to stay away from them before the game on Tuesday until 15 minutes before kick off.
“You say a few things but literally when they are on the pitch it is their team – they have to expect standards off one another! If one or two fall below then I’m expecting the senior players, who aren’t that old by the way, the remind. I don’t even mind the younger players doing it.
“We got a really good response from the younger players on Tuesday, where you might think ‘ could they wobble?’
“We’ll just put it down as one of those bad days at the office, Saturday.”
Watson was delighted with the work rate from his players, allayed with quality.
“The lads were up for it and they had to be, they have responded and all the good characteristics of our play were there – we troubled them from set-plays, it wasn’t just the throw it was the delivery,” he said.
“I thought Jack Bainbridge had his best game for a good while, Charlie (Munro) was picking up bits, Dylan (Vassallo) covered every blade of grass, the two wider attackers in Tyler (Walton) and Connor (Woods) came away looking really tired at the end and Jordan (Archer) led the line.
“The back four, who’d conceded two goals in twelve games before conceding five on Saturday, four in one second half, they’ve come back and looked rock solid. I don’t think Cam (Mason) had one shot to save in the game.
“It’s a win and we needed the win.
“Since I left Telford, my record coming back here is terrible! I think we got a draw last time but apart from that it hasn’t been particularly good, so it was nice for me to come here and win.
“The second goal was a top, top goal, and even if Doug hadn’t scored it, Jordan was right behind him to score. It was a real bit of quality from Adam – you don’t expect your centre half to send someone for a pie and then stick the ball on someone’s head! It was a brilliant ball and a great goal. That, in effect, killed the game.”
It meant Watson was able to go home a happy man – in stark contrast to the weekend.
He added: “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing it, if you’ve still got fire in your belly and a little bit of pride then you do go home and you hurt because you don’t want to lose – Southport is my club and I always want Southport to do great.”
Next up, Southport are on the road once again, this time heading to the Jakemans Community Stadium to take on Boston United.
They return home on Tuesday when they entertain Curzon Ashton at the Pure Stadium.
Marine skipper Niall Cummins was the hat-trick hero in the Northern Premier League West Division title hopefuls’ victory at Market Drayton at the weekend. The Mariners were disappointed on Tuesday evening as a last-gasp Runcorn Linnets leveller denied them another three points in their bid to chase down leaders Workington AFC