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MATCH REPORT FROM
SOUTHPORT.GB.COM
CANVEY ISLAND 2 SOUTHPORT 1
After watching Chelsea canter to their seventh
successive victory, Sky pundit Paul Walsh commented how he felt ‘depressed’ when
analysing the Premiership table.
In league monotonously dominated by a single side, one can understand his
emotions. But to see what a truly miserable table looks like, he should try
following Southport, who haven’t a clue when their next Conference win will be
produced after slumping to third from bottom.
This afternoon’s match will be best placed in the bulging category labelled
‘should have obtained a point.’ But the underlining fact states that, against
another part-time outfit and after playing some decent football as well as
taking the lead, Liam Watson’s men left with nothing for the fifth time in ten
outings.
Their misfortune has often been bemoaned, but after obtaining the stroke of luck
which had previously eluded them, in the form of an own goal by Steve Ward on
thirty-five minutes, they failed to capitalise or establish a momentum. One
wonders what emotions will be undergone among those on the team coach during the
six-hour haul back home.
But regardless of the manner in which it arrives, the Sandgrounders need to
muster a victory quickly. On the back of recoding their worst points total after
the opening ten games of a non-league season, they lie third from bottom and
remain above the relegation zone by virtue of one goal. Burton, tied on eight
points, were shock victors at high-flying Exeter while Crawley, who have six,
are a professional outfit and surely won’t remain bottom for much longer.
Manager Liam Watson knows more than anyone that things are materialising
disastrously and to be fair, has tried his best to shuffle things around. But so
far, the change in goalkeeper has proved ineffectual, while the return of former
goal king Terry Fearns has inspired nothing.
Although the Sandgrounders created their perennial periods of promise, it’s all
about performing consistently. And while that has eluded the majority of
Southport’s squad thus far, Carl Baker was again their most inspirational spark,
but is worryingly a doubt for Tuesday’s visit to Scarborough after limping off
with a knock shortly before the end.
Baker was singled out as a player worthy of special praise in boss Watson’s
mainly subdued pre-match notes and now the ‘Port manager seems to have found a
position to suit his rising star superbly.
Deployed in a position short of the two central strikers, Baker has licence to
cover the width of the pitch and did so impressively with magical runs, superb
awareness, incisive through balls.
And it was no surprise that the former Prescot youngster instigated the opening
goal just after the half-hour.
Baker ran former Southport defender Stuart Bimson ragged throughout proceedings
and managed to turn three members of the Canvey rearguard with some ingenious
trickery when veering goalwards from the right.
He then fizzed a centre across the face of the target, enticing veteran defender
Steve Ward to convert into his won goal.
The hosts had started the brightest during a lively opening, with livewire Kezie
Ibe firing twice at goalkeeper Jamie Speare inside the first ten minutes.
Terry Fearns registered the visitors’ effort, failing to trouble home stopper
Richard McKinney, before Dominic Sterling and midfielder Jeff Minton, at the hub
of Island’s engine room, both recorded shorts from range.
Since his controversial selection ahead of Steve Dickinson in midweek, much talk
has surrounded Southport ‘keeper Jamie Speare. As against Tamworth, he had
relatively little to do, but what he did have to contend with, was made
uncomfortably hard work.
And Speare was fortunate to escape a red card on twenty-nine minutes, when he
recklessly clattered into Ibe outside the area, when the striker was through on
goal. There was no covering defender behind Speare, who rushed out negligently
and was lucky to escape with a mere caution.
Southport’s Baker fired over from a central position minutes before crafting his
side’s opener, while the Sandgrounders ended the half on a positive, with Fearns
and Steve Daly both recording efforts on target.
Their goalkeeper’s carelessness aside, Southport defender commendably
throughout, but for the fourth time this season conceded in the opening ten
minutes of the second period.
The hosts had provided a number of dangerously high, looping centers regularly
from wide positions and it was Bimson who opened the ‘Port defence with a
spiraling cross from the left.
His ball was deftly knocked-down by Neil Gregory, allowing Kezie Ibe to poke
home from close range
Canvey upped the tempo when Jason Hallett replaced Gregory, whose team proceeded
spontaneously with openings for Dwayne Clarke, Jeff Minton and the substitute
himself all fruitless.
Steve Daly twice fired over for Southport, who again succumbed to a late winner
when Hallett converted with ten minutes remaining.
Again it was aerial vulnerabilities that proved fatal for the visitors, with
Clarke’s perfectly weighted cross headed home by former Waltham Abbey youngster
and substitute Jason Hallett.
But Liam Watson’s men should have restored parity in the dying embers with two
opportunities to do so.
Firstly, defender Steve Ward clearly handled after miscontrolling Steve Daly’s
high ball, before skipper Steve Pickford fired at ‘keeper McKinney when placed
to do much better.
But the most glorious miss fell to substitute Robbie Booth, who headed over an
open goal when unchallenged in stoppage time.
Southport.gb.com Match Facts:
Southport: (4-4-2) 15. Jamie Speare, 19. Chris Lane, 6. Earl Davis, 12.
Farrell Kilbane, 3. Jerome Fitzgerald, 5. Carl Baker (21. Robbie Booth ’90), 10.
Dominic Morley, 2. Steve Pickford, 20. Matthew McGinn, 11. Steve Daly, 9. Terry
Fearns.
Unused Substitutes: 1. Steve Dickinson, 14. Kevin Lynch, 16. Michael Powell.
Referee: D. Cann
Attendance: 727 – The lowest of the Conference season so far
Southport.gb.com Southport Man of the Match: 5. Carl Baker
Final Score: Canvey Island 2, Southport 1
Possession: Canvey Island 56%, Southport 44%
Shots on Target: Canvey Island 7, Southport 4
Shots off Target: Canvey Island 3, Southport 3
Corners: Canvey Island 6, Southport 3
Fouls Committed: Canvey Island 7, Southport 12
Bookings: Canvey Island 0, Southport 3
Sent-Off: Canvey Island 0, Southport 0
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