On paper, their resemblance to the Southport of last season has rapidly diminished, but one characteristic the new crop at Haig Avenue have inherited is the knack of concocting nerve-shredding drama.

Deprived of a potentially precious point during the previous campaign, stoppage time heartbreak at Halifax Town was among the prominent injustices as the Sandgrounders clambered to last-gasp safety.

Performing confidently, Paul Cook’s side did muster a share of the spoils on this occasion, but not even the events of last April - coupled with a notably wretched record of nine wins from 47 visits to the Shay - could prepare supporters for the way in which the action climaxed.





Having taken a well-merited lead through midfielder Liam Blakeman ninety seconds after the restart, Southport continued to threaten and thwarted a bombardment from their opponents with relative comfort. The evening’s defining moment, however, didn’t arrive until the 88th minute.

With Halifax striker Andy Campbell latching onto a long through-ball, goalkeeper Ryan Robinson careered out of the penalty area to intercept. Despite initially indicating the clearance had been made using his chest, referee Andy Halliday dismissed Robinson on the say-so of an assistant positioned no fewer than forty yards away, who deemed the ‘Port stopper to have made illegal contact with the upper arm.

Having used their full allocation of substitutes, scorer Blakeman was required to assume the duties between the sticks - and with pressure intensifying throughout the latter stages, the hosts snatched a leveller nineteen seconds after the allocated four minutes of stoppage time had elapsed. Adam Quinn flicked on a deep ball to Campbell, whose cross was poked over the line by New Zealand international frontman Shane Smeltz.

On the balance of play, the Shaymen will argue they were worth a point, but such an extraordinary ending left Southport and their manager mightily aggrieved. Having failed to take the opportunities they fashioned on the opening day against Woking, the Sandgrounders know their current points total should be significantly greater and must heed some harsh lessons.





Positive in possession but again a lacking potent finisher, Cook’s side were particularly powerful in midfield and contributed greatly to a very watchable contest, which produced a first half with goalmouth action aplenty.

Danny Forrest shot wide for the hosts early on, while Chris Senior also failed to find the target after surging forward and unleashing twenty-yard drive, before Ryan Sugden spurned a glorious chance by heading across the face of goal from close range following a Matt Doughty cross.

Sugden also fired an effort wide after a knock-down from Smeltz, but most of the well-crafted moves were worked by the Sandgrounders, who came close on twenty minutes when industrious play from Dino Maamria freed Blakeman, only for the midfield player to shoot over.

Goalkeeper Craig Mawson produced a save of great elasticity to turn aside a superbly struck free-kick from the eye-catching Alex Smith, while striker Maamria, ploughing a lone furrow in a 4-5-1 line-up, was culpable of spurning the clearest opportunity of the opening period. After purposeful work and a charging run, Carl Baker found the former Tunisian under 21 international, who shot disappointingly into the arms of the home ‘keeper from five yards.

Although it should have been the last action of the half, Southport were almost undone by some swift counter-punching: Sugden and Martin Foster combining to release Forrest, whose angled drive clipped the base of the upright.

But after forty-five minutes of graft, the visitors resumed by applying the early pressure and deservedly took the advantage. From the second of successive corners taken by Smith, Maamria forced the ball to the back post, where Blakeman stabbed home from two yards.





With just one home defeat during the previous league campaign, Halifax responded by putting the Sandgrounders under some intense pressure, but were nonetheless restricted to selected moments of real danger.

Senior and Sugden shot wide from distance, while ‘keeper Robinson looked to be on course for another positive performance in the Southport goal, by denying Forrest’s 20-yard effort with a fine block, before recovering superbly to smother a close-range shot from Mark Roberts, the former Haig Avenue defender.

Robinson again thwarted Forrest, but he wasn’t the only shot-stopper whose reflexes were tested, as the sprightly Alex Smith twice came close at the other end. The increasingly impressive attacker should have finished an incisive move involving Blakeman and Baker only to be denied from point-blank range by ‘keeper Mawson, who was also at full-stretch to turn aside a terrifically executed 25-yard free-kick.

As the clock wound down, however, Halifax edged ever closer and after Sugden shot wide and substitute Steve Torpey fired over, Robinson saw red amid much controversy, before Smeltz landed the sucker punch on is home debut with the last kick of the contest.


(Halifax Town 1 - 1 Southport)

* Match notes and photographs courtesy of Rob Urwin, www.southportfcstats.co.uk





Southport.gb.com Match Facts:

Southport: (4-5-1) 1. Ryan Robinson, 2. Chris Lane, 5. Kevin Lee, 16. Paul Martin, 3. Lee Hoolickin, 7. Carl Baker (19. Joe Fowler ’76), 6. Mark Boyd, 8. Liam Blakeman, 17. Alex Smith, 20. Sean Clancy (11. James Olsen ’65), 10. Dino Maamria (18. Mark Jackson ’53).
Unused Substitutes: 21. Paul Harrison, 4. Michael Powell.

Referee: A. Halliday

Attendance: 2,002

Southport.gb.com Southport Man of the Match: 8. Liam Blakeman

Final Score: Halifax Town 1, Southport 1
Shots on Target: Halifax Town 7, Southport 5
Shots off Target: Halifax Town 8, Southport 4
Corners: Halifax Town 7, Southport 5
Fouls Committed: Halifax Town 23, Southport 14
Bookings: Halifax Town 3, Southport 1
Sent-Off: Halifax Town 0, Southport 1



Next at Haig Avenue: Southport v Rushden & Diamonds - Match Poster