Professional football will supposedly allow Southport to compete on an even keel with the Nationwide Conference heavyweights. What it most certainly won’t do, however, is render results against the mere mortals of the part-time world a formality.

While the Sandgrounders were plotting the upset against Stevenage Borough twelve months ago, it was the rookies at this level who this time had their shortcomings exploited by a newly-promoted side.

Having promised much but lacked a cutting edge in the opening matches against Woking and Halifax Town, there is genuine concern that the nagging worries could materialise into something much more significant.

Given the formative stages of their time as a team, matters must naturally be given a sense of perspective, but failure to remedy the more obvious imperfections - and in particular a non-scoring strike-force - will severely hinder potential progress this campaign.





Again deploying a lone frontman who endured a hapless afternoon, Southport struggled miserably to ask meaningful questions of their hosts and adopted an approach that frustratingly lacked purpose.

With striker Mark Jackson consistently isolated and the thirty-minute appearance of veteran substitute Stuart Barlow barely noticeable, the Sandgrounders’ attacking options were restricted by a formation that manufactured a limited number of innocuous openings.

Having registered one notable goal attempt during a lifeless opening period, the visitors’ most forward-thinking player was midfielder Liam Blakeman, who showed an admirable willingness to support the attack, but most of his attempts were either fired feebly off target or into the arms of goalkeeper Dean Williams.



Any side with designs on making a name for themselves this campaign would surely have been able to negotiate their way past a very moderate Stafford Rangers outfit, but in typical Southport fashion, the decisive moment arrived with hardly any time to respond.

Nine minutes remained when Lee Downes’ twenty-yard drive was deflected wide and from the resultant corner, the ageless Neil Grayson rose highest inside a packed penalty area to head home a Kevin Street delivery.

As the Sandgrounders were panicked into action, their fortunes further deteriorated with the dismissal of defender Paul Martin, who scarred a highly encouraging individual display by wrestling to ground Guy Madjo after wonderful work by captain Street had released the Rangers striker.

Madjo, the former Forest Green Rovers frontman, was a lively figure throughout and provided a moment of genuine worry for the visitors inside the opening minutes by drawing a fine near-post save from debutant Paul Harrison, the visiting goalkeeper, who did all that was required of him to a decent standard. Downes and Grayson both shot wide from outside the area, before Ged Murphy had an effort deflected off target by defender Kevin Lee following industrious play from the Cameroon-born Madjo.



Southport’s clearest sight of goal came on the half-hour when Carl Baker intercepted a weak pass from ‘keeper Williams to Liam Murray, but failed direct his shot anywhere near the target from a prohibitive angle. Mark Boyd shot wastefully over and a Baker cross was headed wide by Sean Clancy, while no-one was around to connect with Lee Hoolickin’s measured left-wing centre.

Currently in the seventeenth year of a career spanning eleven clubs, 41-year old striker Grayson could have given Stafford a half-time lead, but his looping effort cleared the crossbar having been afforded time and space on the edge of the area following clever play from the industrious Street.

Midfielder Blakeman shot wide from distance for Southport and the visitors also engineered a well-crafted counter-attack on sixty-two minutes, only for Boyd’s ball to elude substitute Barlow after a surging run from Baker.



As the game became stretched, chances became less of a rarity, with Madjo blasting wide for Rangers and Street shooting at ‘keeper Harrison, while Baker should have worked home stopper Williams with a glancing header from one of several wickedly-delivered Hoolickin free-kicks.

Blakeman fired over, before defender Wayne Daniel denied substitute Joe Fowler, who also supplied a corner for Lee to head agonisingly close. But as it appeared the Sandgrounders may seize the initiative, Murphy shot wide and Downes’ effort was deflected off target, allowing Grayson to convert.

A Blakeman header was caught by Williams but any faint hope of a late Southport reprieve was extinguished with four minutes remaining, as Martin deservedly made an early exit.

Red card, late defeat, unable to score and despair from a set-piece: what proved to be a familiar cycle of events last season could well have a bearing on events during the coming months.


(Stafford Rangers 1 - 0 Southport)





Southport.gb.com Match Facts:

Southport: (4-5-1) 21. Paul Harrison, 2. Chris Lane, 5. Kevin Lee, 16. Paul Martin, 3. Lee Hoolickin, 7. Carl Baker, 6. Mark Boyd, 8. Liam Blakeman, 4. Michael Powell (19. Joe Fowler ’67), 20. Sean Clancy (14. Robbie Booth ’53), 18. Mark Jackson (26. Stuart Barlow ’62).
Unused Substitutes: 11. James Olsen, 23. Francis Barry.

Referee: D. Coote

Attendance: 1,081

Southport.gb.com Southport Man of the Match: 3. Lee Hoolickin

Final Score: Stafford Rangers 1, Southport 0
Shots on Target: Stafford Rangers 7, Southport 7
Shots off Target: Stafford Rangers 3, Southport 4
Corners: Stafford Rangers 8, Southport 7
Fouls Committed: Stafford Rangers 12, Southport 14
Bookings: Stafford Rangers 2, Southport 1
Sent-Off: Stafford Rangers 0, Southport 1