Ciaran Kilheeney’s stoppage time penalty salvaged a point for Southport, as an injury and sickness struck side travelled down to Leicestershire.
Southport started brightly with Earl Davis striking the cross bar from Mark Duffy’s corner in the first five minutes. For the first time away this season, Southport found themselves a goal down as Gez Murphy played the ball to Andy Hall who sprinted down the right wing, firing the ball across Tony McMillan, whose hand was unable to stop the ball blasting into the back of the net.
Southport had a succession of corners, but the best chance fell to Tony Gray, as Robbie Booth got the ball over from the right wing, but Gray’s shot just skimmed over the bar. Minutes later, Mark Duffy worked some space for himself on the edge of the box, but his shot fell kindly for Chris MacKenzie.
Hinckley looked dangerous on the counter-attack, causing another worry for Tony McMillan as Tom Bonner’s right wing cross fell to Adam Webster who headed the ball wide.
With the weather making the pitch very difficult, both teams had to churn out opportunist chances as and when the chance came. Gez Murphy had the best chance early in the half as he beat Earl Davis on the edge of the area, and with only McMillan to beat, slipped on the tricky surface, with the ball trickling into the arms of a grateful keeper.
John Doolan’s introduction into the game was Southport’s main impetus for their chance of replying, as his shot from the edge of the box was punched away from the keeper, with the rebound falling to Matty McGinn who shot the ball well-wide.
With twenty minutes remaining, a Mark Duffy free-kick was well punched away by MacKenzie whilst under a lot of pressure from Neil Robinson, with the ball going to Doolan on the edge of the box, but his effort again scraped over the bar.
With two minutes of stoppage time played, Southport were awarded a life-line as the referee spotted an outstretched Callum Lloyd arm make contact with the ball from Matty McGinn’s left wing cross, with Ciaran Kilheeney confidently dispatching the ball low to his left, with MacKenzie having no chance.