Sandgrounders pay for lack of real goal threat

CHESTER ……………………………. 1 SOUTHPORT ……………………….. 0

SOUTHPORT returned empty handed from Chester after the home side came out on top with a 1-0 win.

The visitors started the game brightly and as early as the third minute created a chance when Jack Bainbridge headed at goal and the ball broke free to Dylan Vassallo who fired into the side netting.

Southport had a lucky escape in the 12th minute when Tony McMillan brought down Kole Hall and the referee booked the Chester player. Everyone in the ground thought it was a penalty except the man that mattered.

Tony said post match “It was a definite pen.”

Southport’s best chance of the game came in the 22nd minute when Connor Woods nipped in and looped a header over Tyrer but it dropped agonisingly wide.

Charlie Oliver and Jack Bainbridge both saw yellow cards, the latter perhaps lucky to only see yellow and not red.

Liam replaced Bainbridge at half time for his own good.

Chester came into the game more as the half closed and MvMillan made two excellent saves in a minute to keep the score at 0-0 at the break.

It was a half Southport could be pleased with. The only goal of the game came in the 53rd minute when hesitation in the Southport defence allowed Kole Hall to execute a superb finish that left Tony McMillan with no chance in the Southport goal. Josh Hmami who was having a very good game in his first start of the season went close in the 58th minute, forcing Tyrer in the home goal into a fine save and quickly smothered the rebound before Jordan Archer could put away the rebound.

Southport then went close in the 69th minute when a header from Hmami hit the outside of the post and was cleared away by the Chester defence.

Unfortunately that was as close as it was to be as despite plenty of posession Southport were once again left without a goal threat.