Tamworth 1 v 3 Southport

Tamworth looked dangerous up-front, with Nick Wright making Paul Barratt have a busy afternoon in left back. Southport ventured forward, with debutant Michael Rae setting up the first goal as he played a cracking ball in from the right side, which Elliot Jones was unable to hold, allowing Tony Gray to pounce on, burying the ball home from close range.

Tamworth had a super chance to pull level ten minutes later as Gareth Sheldon’s freekick on the right wing went through to Nick Wright who volleyed the ball narrowly over. The Lamb’s kept prodding, with Jamie Reed coming close as Des Lyttle’s right wing was held up in the wind, only for the header to go wide.

Micahel Rae’s threat on goal continued to keep the Tamworth keeper on his toes, as he received a ball in from Blakeman, with the on-loan signing turning well on the edge of the box, forcing Jones to scramble to his right, pushing the ball away. Moments later, a high ball into the box from Danny Holmes went into Rae, who goal-bound header forced the keeper to save the ball just above his head.

Southport extended their lead with four minutes remaining of the first half, when a horrid clearance from Craig McAughtrie went straight to Gray who knocked the ball into the middle, before following the ball and turning on the volley to thunder the ball in from just inside the box, leaving Jones diving to his right.

Davenport gave a chance to the other debutant for the second half, as the club prepared for life without Danny Holmes. But the headlines went to Tony Gray who completed his hat-trick in spectacular form as a well-worked free-kick went through to the striker, who fired a thunder-bolt from the edge of the area, giving Jones no chance in The Lambs goal.

The Lambs pulled a goal back just after the hour mark when Colin Marrison got the ball into Chris Nurse, who bundled the ball over from close range.

Southport seemed to lose their concentration allowing the home side into the game, and when Kevin Lee fouled Matthew Williams on the edge of the box, Tamworth should have been back into the game as Michael Briscoe’s free-kick went around the wall, but with no swerve, the ball went out for a goal kick.

Tamworth huffed and puffed, but Southport held on to claim all three points, putting them just inside the play-off places once again, a position Davenport will hope to build on.