Spence strikes late on to sink Sandgrounders

SOUTHPORT ..................... 0 GLOUCESTER CITY ........ 1

SOUTHPORT drew another home blank as Gloucester City grabbed all three points with a 1-0 win.

The game looked destined to be another 0-0 draw until the 86th minute when up popped Sion Spence to fire home from 18 yards.

Gloucester started brightly and created the best chances and it took the home side 20 minutes before Connor Heath had a chance to test the home keeper but fired wide.

Tony McMillan was once again defying his 41 years with a string of fine saves that rightly earned him the sponsors Man Of The Match award and he kept the visitors at bay in a goalless first half.

Southport’s best chance came in the 59th minute when Tyler Walton crossed but Jordan Archer just failed to get on the end of it and apart from a few half chances after that there wasn’t a lot of action to report.

With time ebbing away and both sides cancelling each other out it was Gloucester who took the spoils late on on another disappointing home afternoon.

The defence as always was solid but as has been evident on a regular basis it’s at the other end of the pitch that is struggling.

Meanwhile, Southport went goal crazy in Leyland last Wednesday, banging nine goals in against Ashton Athletic without reply to progress to the Lancashire Challenge Trophy Final.

It was a new NonLeague record high score in any competitive game and the first time a Southport player has scored five goals in a game in the Non League era.

It was all fairly even for 30 minutes but once the first goal went in the floodgates opened and it was one way traffic after that,

Niall Watson scored five, there was an own goal plus strikes from Josh Hmami, Connor Heath and Charlie Munro.

Brad Wade made his debut in goal for the club.

The club issued an update for supporters regarding investors at Haig Avenue last week.

The statement read: “Both Liam and Ian have confirmed numerous times in interviews this season that they are actively looking for new investors to help push the Club forward.

“We can confirm that we are now in promising advanced conversation with both a new partner and a separate potential new investor, who we believe will both have a lot to bring to Southport FC.

“Talks will continue in the short term, but we are all eager to get any potential agreements over the line sooner rather than later so as to assist Liam in his plans for next season.

“In the meantime, the Directors do, as ever, make themselves available on a matchday and via the Club for any individual queries.

“We do however appreciate that not all fans are comfortable in approaching the Directors directly and therefore we are also in the process of appointing a Fans Liaison Officer, who will hopefully create a further link to the Board to enable fans’ questions to be answered in an expeditious manner.”