2 - 1 v Peterborough Sports (H) 10/12/2024 
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Watson slams referee in ‘Port defeat
Southport Visiter
26 Aug 2021
SOUTHPORT manager Liam Watson has slammed a ‘crazy’ refereeing decision as his side fell to a 3-2 defeat at Spennymoor Town.
Josh Hmami give Southport the lead after just 16 minutes – after a great flick on by Marcus Carver – but the home side responded with two goals from Brad Abbott.
Carver then levelled for Southport, but Spennymoor scored the winner in controversial fashion as the referee awarded a dubious free kick to the home side.
They took a quick free-kick and broke forward, leaving Southport short at the back, and Ramshaw was on hand to finish. Speaking to the club’s media channel after the match, Watson was far from impressed.
He said: “A great performance. Obviously it is going to get overshadowed by the crazy refereeing decision but as I say year-in, year-out when you come to the north east you know what you are going to get.
“Thommo, the little winger from Spennymoor, has tried to challenge Doug Tharme – Doug is about 6ft 4in and Thommo is about 5ft 7in. Tharme has gone up and he has gone down.
“Bizarrely enough the referee then gives a free-kick against us.
“They then take a quick free-kick when he is nowhere near where the situation occurred and they have gone through and scored.
“First half we are 1-0 up through a really well-worked goal then had the best opportunity in the game to go 2-0 up – that hasn’t gone in when it should go in.
“They have got back into the match – it’s a real lazy error which actually results in them going 2-1 up – then we score another fabulous goal to equalise.
“We weren’t great in the second half, we did okay. Dylan [Vassallo] and Connor [Woods] got a lot of plaudits last week, but they didn’t affect the game anywhere near the way they should. Niall [Watson] when he came on was lively – he should have gone down for a penalty.
“It was a 2-2 draw, you would have said it was a fair result on the balance of play. Now you only have to see the reaction from the fans at the end. He [the referee] knows.
“It’s one point, but it is a big one point coming away.”
While furious over a decision which ultimately decided a closely-fought encounter, Watson did take positives from a bright Southport performance.
“There were lots of positives,” he said. “Josh Hmami looked really lively in the first half, scored his first goal for the club with a good finish.
“The way I am trying to get them to play I want them to be open, I want them to gamble and I want them to be offensive.
“The last couple of years we haven’t scored anywhere near as many goals. We came away disappointed last week having not beaten Gloucester – they beat York 4-0 today.
“There is loads of tough games – 42 games and we have played two. And on the flip side, Spennymoor will be there or there abouts if they keep the front two fit. I actually thought they were a good side.
“If you look at today, no disrespect to Gloucester but I thought Spennymoor caused us more problems. But on the flip side I think if you speak to their manager he’ll think we posed them problems, which is positive.”
Southport now prepare for a quickfire double-header in the National League North.
Watson’s side come up against Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday at the Pure Stadium, before a trip to Mill Farm to face AFC Fylde on Bank Holiday Monday.
On those outings, Watson said: “Out of our first six games Spennymoor are the only part-time team, the other five are full-time – Gloucester, Kidderminster, Fylde, Gateshead and York. Huge questions will be asked of the squad, so we will see where we are when we get to the end of that run of games.”
Meanwhile, Southport have confirmed that Russ Benjamin suffered a broken ankle in the game at Spennymoor on Saturday. Benjamin is expected to out of action for up to eight weeks.
Southport left raging after defeat at Moors
Southport Visiter
26 Aug 2021
SOUTHPORT returned from the north east on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline in a game that could have gone either way.
It was a pulsating first half which saw Josh Hmami give Southport the lead, racing through on 16 minutes after a great flick on by Marcus Carver before the home side responded with a brace by Brad Abbott on 33 and 41 minutes. Carver had a massive opportunity to put the visitors 2-0 up but chose to try and chip the keeper instead of placing the ball.
It was to be a key moment as Spennymoor came into the game strongly after that.
However Carver made amends in added time at the end of the first half with a sublime finish from 12 yards, coolly beating the ‘keeper with a side-foot volley.
Both sides left the field to well deserved applause after a half of high quality with chances coming at either end.
The second period failed to live up to the first but still provided chances at a regular rate.
However, it was Spennymoor who went on to take the three points in controversial fashion which left the Southport fans and manager Liam Watson raging.
The referee awarded a free kick to the home side which they took quickly and broke and Ramshaw was on hand to finish.
The general view from those close up was it was never a free kick and Southport were left short at the back.
Southport did create a couple of late chances with Niall Watson looking lively down the left wing cutting the ball back but nobody was on the end of it.
He could have gone down for the penalty but instead tried to get his cross in.
There was no announcement of the added time to be played but both sides went close with Taylor hitting the post for the home side and Bainbridge heading over for Southport.
The Southport fans in the excellent crowd of 1,312 were quick to let the referee know how they felt at the end of the game!
It was a game were Southport deserved to come away with a point. Good defending when they were under the cosh at the start of the second half and lively counter attacking but unfortunately it was the home fans who were left celebrating at the end.
Match report via Southport’s official club website
SOUTHPORT LINE-UP: Mason, Doyle J, Benjamin, Anson, Tharme, Woods, Carver, Doyle C, Hmami, Vassallo, Bainbridge.
SUBSTITUTES: McMillan, Munro, Archer, Oliver & Watson.
SUBSTITUTES USED: Munro for Benjamin 26 Watson for Vassallo 66 and Archer for Hmami 85.
SCORERS : Hmami 16 & Carver 45+4
REFEREE : Jonathan Urwin
ATTENDANCE : 1,312
