The workaholic team who dug so deep to earn their reputation as a tenacious, obstinate outfit are fast becoming the side everyone loves to play.

Their will sapped, passion drained and hearts now pounding anxiously in fear of what lies ahead, not only was this Southport’s fourth successive Conference reversal, but a frightfully woeful showing which smacked of desperation.

No side in the top five tiers of English football has accumulated more defeats than the eleven suffered by the men from Haig Avenue so far this season, who also took their goals against tally to an astonishing thirty-seven. Prior to last week’s reverse at home to Halifax Town, manager Liam Watson set his side a target of gaining seven points from three matches. But having seen them find the net just twice in their last seven outings, Watson trudged away from a gloomy Crown Ground with his head remorsefully bowed not knowing when the Sandgrounders will next score, let alone produce a win.

While fellow strugglers Forest Green Rovers, Altrincham and Tamworth seem capable of edging narrow victories or scraping tedious draws, Southport seem to have declined since their Conference induction three months ago. Although results were poor in the fifth of the campaign, it was at least encouraging that the Sandgrounders held a desire to attack their opponents, thus forcing victories against Stevenage Borough and Burton Albion. But a present incompatibility and reluctance to contest matches in a meaningful manner means they are a mere shadow of their former dogged selves.





Today, Southport managed just two shots at goal, needlessly conceded the ball, were out-battled and out-classed in all departments. Sluggish in the main, reckless at frequent intervals - whenever the Sandgrounders were in possession, instant harassment from their opponents ensured they progressed no further. In contrast, Accrington were free to roam. A fruitless 4-5-1 formation, which caused more problems than it did provide answers, took seventy-five minutes to be rectified, but by then most of the damage had already been inflicted.

Admittedly, survival will not be determined by results at the home of those vying for promotion and there are certainly more significant fixtures still to be contested – but the spiritless manner in which Watson’s men surrendered against second-placed Stanley was of utter astonishment to the three-hundred travelling supporters who long for their club’s Conference existence.

Watson has tired his fervent best to accumulate a squad capable of competing against the best in non-league football, but the limits on resources imposed by the club’s current set-up were today blindingly explicit. The Southport boss last week attempted to revive his side’s fortunes by acquiring several fresh faces and while his latest recruits will hopefully spark an improvement once given time to integrate, the two more experienced debutants certainly flattered to deceive.

In fact, the renewed impetus that the Sandgrounders’ three additions were supposed to bring lasted little more than a provisional ten-minute spell inside the first period, and no sooner had Accrington established the lead, than Southport wilted. The distinct lack of confidence and lethargy that hampered Adriano Rigoglioso’s troubled stay at Doncaster Rovers fast became apparent, Chris Brass duly corroded and Mark Roberts, although the most impressive newcomer, was exposed on several occasions because his youthfulness.





Southport have not retrieved a Conference deficit since battling back to win at Gravesend and Northfleet in August 2002, so it is of little wonder that they relinquished all hope once Ian Craney put Accrington ahead on thirty-two minutes.

After Jagielka’s free-kick was feebly cleared, Gary Roberts created space with clever play on the right, leaving Fitzhenry for dead. And his smart pull-back was swept beyond Dickinson by the productive Craney, who timed his late run into the box with shrewd perfection.

Craney, a vibrant midfield force, should have opened the hosts’ account shortly before, as he whistled over following surging forty-yard run, while Boco and Jagielka both fired wide.

But Stanley doubled their lead four minutes later when Romuald Boco, a Benin international striker, shrugged off the challenge of defender Roberts, before drilling a composed shot into the bottom left-hand corner.


Accy celebrate

Mullin and Barry both spurned opportunities early in the second period, before Southport were saved from suffering further ignominy by the customary string of impressive stops from goalkeeper Steve Dickinson.

The Sandgrounders’ stopper was on top form to finger-tip Boco’s rasping effort over the bar after Brass had been caught in possession, before foiling a low shot from Gary Roberts. But Dickinson’s finest save was with his feet, as he instinctively smothered a downward header from Boco after a neat build-up.

Southport’s change to a 4-4-2 system allowed Kevin Lynch to register their solitary shot of the second period, but the visitors remained lacklustre and conceded two late strikes to give a fairer reflection of Accy’s dominance.

On eighty-six minutes, Paul Mullin, the evergreen frontman who Southport failed to contain throughout the afternoon, sublimely finished after his sumptuous chest-control allowed Accrington’s skipper to execute a low first-time shot across the face of Dickinson.

And in stoppage time, an inadvertent slip from the otherwise impressive Earl Davis released substitute Andrew Mangen, who veered towards goal before tucking a swerving strike to the goalkeeper’s left.





The Crown Ground observes a minutes’ silence in memory of George Best and former Southport player George Bromilow

Southport.gb.com Match Facts:

Southport: (4-5-1) 1. Steve Dickinson, 27. Chris Brass, 6. Earl Davis, 22. Mark Roberts, 4. Neil Fitzhenry, 10. Dominic Morley, 18. Dominic Krief (21. Robbie Booth ’79), 16. Michael Powell (14. Kevin Lynch), 7. Kevin Leadbetter, 9. Nick Rogan (20. Matthew McGinn ‘78), 26. Adriano Rigoglioso.
Unused Substitutes: 15. Jamie Speare, 3. Jerome Fitzgerald.

Referee: R. Hewitt

Attendance: 1,630

Southport.gb.com Southport Man of the Match: 1. Steve Dickinson

Final Score: Accrington Stanley 4, Southport 0
Possession: Accrington Stanley 60%, Southport 40%
Shots on Target: Accrington Stanley 8, Southport 1
Shots off Target: Accrington Stanley 16, Southport 2
Corners: Accrington Stanley 5, Southport 2
Fouls Committed: Accrington Stanley 7, Southport 15
Bookings: Accrington Stanley 1, Southport 4
Sent-Off: Accrington Stanley 0, Southport 0


Members of Southport’s loyal band of followers




An amateur game takes place behind the Crown Ground


Stanley banners on the Clayton Terrace