S&B sweating on pro Kevin’s availability
SOUTHPORT and Birkdale officials could face a tense wait before discovering whether Indian professional, Kevin D’Almeida, will be available to play in their opening league game against Birkenhead Park.
Unlike a number of clubs in the Love Lane Liverpool Competition, S&B have no doubts about their ground being fit for Saturday’s match but after experiencing delays with his visa, D’Almeida might not arrive in time to make his debut against the newly promoted Wirral side.
That will be a disappointment for S&B’s skipper, David Snellgrove, who will be without Corey and Rocky Flintoff for the game against Park and also for the ECB National Knockout match at home to Furness on Sunday.
Typically, however, Snellgrove is not moaning about his misfortune, instead preferring to be grateful that his players were able to have a meaningful intra-squad practice match on a grass pitch last Saturday.
“We had a good run-out,” he said. “We mixed the teams up and had a competitive game and it was great for everyone to get some cricket in their legs.
“We played it properly and it was particularly good to see Jack Stanley and Tom Crew back from their winters in Australia.”
The development in players like Stanley and Crew will justify the faith S&B have placed in younger cricketers in recent years but such precocious talents are also likely to be needed for school games and Snellgrove is reconciled to the Flintoffs being required by the Manchester Grammar School’s first eleven for most of the first half of the season.
“The situation with Corey and Rocky is disappointing but it’s also understandable,” said Snellgrove. “However, our opening bowler, Harvey Walker, will be coming back from Durham University to play for us and that’s a great boost, although we might still be a little bit light on the batting front in the first month of the season.
“But while it might be a tough couple of weeks, it will be tough for others, too, because we’re certainly in the minority in having played any cricket outside on grass.
“Many players have had nothing more than sessions on artificial nets, so maybe we will have an opportunity to get a win or two on the board.
Winning either of the first two games would certainly be a fillip for Snllgrove’s team. Birkenhead Park were unfortunate to be relegated in 2022 but have recruited shrewdly over the winter while Formby, S&B’s opponents on May 4, finished fifth in the ECB Premier League last season.
SOUTH SHIELDS ............. 3 SOUTHPORT ..................... 0
THE curtain came down on Southport’s season with a 3-0 defeat at South Shields and a finishing place of 17th.
It was the 19th time this season Port had failed to find the back of the net and, apart from two good chances in the first half, the home goal was rarely threatened.
South Shields took the lead in the 17th minute when Jordan Hunter’s shot was parried up into the air by Chris Renshaw for Aaron Martin to head home.
They extended their advantage in the 24th minute through a penalty after Renshaw brought down Paul Blackett.
It looked close to the edge of the area, the irony here being if it had been outside the area the goalkeeper could possibly have seen red. Nevertheless, Blackett duly converted the spot kick.
Southport’s best effort came six minutes before the break from Tyler Walton, Myles Boney producing an outrageous save to push his shot onto the crossbar, with Will Russ heading the rebound out for a goal kick.
South Shields deserved their 2-0 lead at half time and extended it in the 66th minute with Hunter firing home.
Unfortunately for the home side, results elsewhere were not going their way and the final 20 minutes were played out
Tamworth ........... 46 Scunthorpe ......... 46 Brackley .............. 46 Chorley ................ 46 Alfreton Town ...... 46 Boston Utd .......... 46 Curzon Ashton ..... 46 South Shields ...... 46 Spennymoor Tn ... 46 Chester FC ........... 46 Hereford FC ......... 46 Warrington Town 46 Scarborough Ath . 46 Buxton ................ 46 Peterborough Sp . 46 Darlington ........... 46 in a very subdued atmosphere.
For Southport, it was a disappointing end to a disappointing season but given the start the club had made and the extensive injury list from day one it could have been a lot worse. Jim Bentley now has the opportunity to build his own squad in the close season.
Boss Bentley said: “You can look at these games and South Shields still had something to play for – it was just a weird atmosphere, they were all quite calm because they were winning comfortably and Boston weren’t winning and you hear the ups and downs and it just drifted away.
“I can get it from our point of view, we’ve tried something different today, we could have come in and parked the bus, sat in similar to what we did at home and hit them on the counter attack.
“But we thought we’d come here and have a go and go right after them right up the pitch.
“With us being a parttime club it’s difficult to nail everything down but there was some real good evidence. We had one or two little regains where we nearly got in.
“Harry Flowers had a great opportunity with the volley, it looked like there was no one within 10 yards or more - he’s got to take a touch and put it in the net.
“So we started quite brightly in that regards but we didn’t really give it time to work on what we’d touched on because the goals that we gave away were sloppy.
“They’ve got their tails up then with the confidence and our lads are a little bit shell shocked and we had to filter back into Plan B so to speak, where we got Danny Lloyd left and Tyler Walton right and I think there were some good signs. We’ve tested the goalkeeper, he’s pulled off an outstanding save from Tyler’s header, there was some great play down the left and a good cross from Danny – Will unfortunately hasn’t put the rebound away. We had one or two other bits and pieces but they’re a good side. They are fulltime, they played with freedom in the end.
“From my point of view, you can say what you want about the attitude you want and the endeavour but there’s probably three quarters of that team are lads out of contract, a couple of loans – we were down to the bare bones with regards to the warmup, Andy (Burgess) not being here, Richie Bennett
tweaked his hamstrong on Thursday, we’ve no Marcus Carver, no Luke Burgess, no Jordan Archer, Fin Lockett’s got an ankle injury – we’re going right through the team, we’re depleted in terms of the staff and we’re depleted on the pitch.
“Thankfully for me the hard work had been done and this was, for me, a little bit of let the hand break off and go and enjoy it, go play and try and score a goal or do what’s right.
“We showed good signs of that but otherwise we were poor in other areas. The goals we conceded could have been avoided.”
LINE UP: Renshaw, Quansah (Thomson 67), Doyle, Flowers, Anson, Lloyd (Evans 74), Morgan (Heath 74),Hmami Russ, Philliskirk, Walton.
SUBS: McMillan
ATTENDANCE: 2775