Bentley out to boost ailing ’Port backline
SOUTHPORT boss Jim Bentley will look to bolster his squad this week as the search of defensive reinforcements continues.
The Sandgrounders shipped six goals at National League leaders Chesterfield in the FA Trophy on Saturday and Bentley admitted to feeling embarrassed by that.
While the Spireites were clear favourites to win the tie, the manner in which Port conceded goals in the second half was a huge disappointment to Bentley.
And with Adam Anson missing for the foreseeable future and Dec Evans out through injury, Bentley’s options have been restricted.
Saturday’s result came on the back of a 4-1 reverse against Runcorn Linnets in the Cheshire Senior Cup.
And with a clash against National League North highflyers Tamworth coming up on Saturday, Bentley is calling for improvement at both ends of the field.
“I do I do feel a little bit embarrassed by getting beaten by six,” he admitted after the 6-1 loss at the SMH Group Stadium.
“We’ve built loads of credit, loads of momentum and then suddenly we concede 10 goals in two games in a week and that hurts me, it embarrasses me. We’ve got to have a good week now because we are going to the top of the table next week. We’ve got a man up and not concede the goals that we have.
“Credit to Chesterfield, Paul Cook’s a fabulous manager, I wish the club well, I think they’ll go up this year and rightly so – they are geared up to kick on as a football club moving forward.
“From our point of view we’ve done great together here, we’ve come here, give a good account of ourselves in the first half and on another day with a little bit of better quality in the final third we could have scored more than the goal that we did, but on a negative the defensive display from us, to concede six, was not great.
“Ultimately we bow out of the competition with a little bit of a whimper and a little bit of embarrassment as well from my point of view.”
The tie started well for Southport with Niall Watson creating the opening goal on 17 minutes. The winger cut infield from the left and picked out Richie Bennett, who turned inside the box and slotted home with precision into the bottom lefthand corner.
The lead lasted 16 minutes before the home side stepped up a gear and equalised, Jeff King finding Michael Jacobs, who applied the finish.
Harley Curtis converted on the stroke of half time to send the home side in 2-1 ahead at the break. James Berry made it 3-1 just shy of the hour mark.
The visitors came agonisingly close to getting one back with 15 minutes left to play, with another fantastic run and cutback from Watson presented itself to Bennett, whose shot was blocked.
But it was game over in the 78th minute when Liam Jessop’s cross flew over Chris Renshaw and into the net.
Jessop slotted home his second two minutes later and Ali Mohiuddin made it six in time added on when he curled home a fine finish.
Cook’s side featured several youngsters from the club’s youth system, but there was still ample talent in the team. Nevertheless, Port were very much in the game for an hour – which made the closing stages all the more unpalatable to Bentley.
“Let’s have it right, they’ve left a lot of their top 10 players out, they are a club geared up to getting promotion,” he said. “I’m good mates with Paul Cook and he’s got them flying high at the top with games in hand.
“They rested a few but he’s still had quality on the pitch and I thought it was going to plan. Obviously we had an issue around the centre half position so we’ve gone with something different, we’d spoken about it, gone through bits of what we wanted to do out of possession and we thought we could offer a threat on the counter attack. That’s been our game.
“We were disciplined in our shape, I didn’t think they caused us too many problems to start with although they had all the ball.
“We got in a couple of times and obviously we got the goal, that was a fantastic counter attack and Richie’s got his first goal for the club, which was great. You’re thinking let’s just stay in the same mindset but we couldn’t keep them out, they just turned the screw a little bit, started switching the play a little bit and crossing the ball into the box.
“They made it 1-1 and I think the critical one is the one right on half time. You can come in at the break with a little bit of confidence coming in against a good side at 1-1, but right on half time to go 2-1 down was disappointing. They got through us and we didn’t really recover and get back in time to get on the second phase.
“The third goal was an absolute shambles from ourselves. Their lad goes right through our back line and that’s ultimately the thing that kills you because we’ve got to defend better than that.
“I’ve praised the lads because ultimately, I think in the last five and a half games leading up to this week, we’ve conceded two goals and they’ve both been from a second phase set play. We’ve been quite robust, quite solid, quite disciplined and we’ve offered the threat going the other way. But that third goal was a shambles from our point of view and if you give players a leg up it’s well easier playing when you’re on top at home.
“It was just that point in the game where we had a couple of opportunities – Dave Morgan’s had one round the back stick – and you’re thinking if you can come back to 3-2 then suddenly you get a bit of momentum and it puts a little bit of doubt in the youngsters’ minds who were playing for Chesterfield. But after what looked like a blatant foul in the middle of the pitch they go down the other end and suddenly it’s 4-1.”
Bentley explained Anson’s absence and said the defender could be out for some time.
“Adam’s had a scan and he’s not going to be short term that’s for sure,” said Bentley. “It was a freak injury, he planted his foot on Tuesday (against Runcorn) to turn direction, obviously the pitch was freezing up a little bit, whether that had anything to do with it, but he’s got a meniscus so we’ll have to see how he goes.
“Obviously Dec Evans has been out as well and we’ve been trying to get a centre half in for the last couple of days and hitting brick walls everywhere.
“We were thinking of bringing Harry off to wrap him up and make sure he was all right so it’s difficult but we’ll try to get one in this week to help us and if we can do that great, we are a little bit patched up in that regard but whatever team goes on the pitch we want to reflect us well and give it their all. I’m not doubting that they’re not trying, I just think they can show a little bit more at both ends of the pitch. We get into good areas but we’ve got to do better at both ends of the pitch.”