Southport leave this season’s FA Cup competition after an Alamo style defensive display and an acrobatic goal-keeper display denied Southport of plenty of chances to kill the game off in the first half.

Southport had a good early chance as Matty McGinn crossed the ball high into the box from the left wing to Ciaran Kilheeney in the centre of the box, only for his header to go straight to Martyn Margarson. Mark Duffy and Adam Flynn both tried their luck from just outside the box, with Duffy’s strike going wide, and Flynn’s shot hit low straight to the keeper,

Boston scored with their first chance on goal as Kieran Leabon received a ball in from midfield, and from the edge of the box on the left side of the area struck the ball into McMillan’s goal, with the ball going into the top right corner, just in front of the Jack Carr stand.

Southport maintained their pressure as they fought to get themselves back into the game with Matty McGinn trying his luck from distance, and minutes later Mark Duffy cut inside from the right wing, getting a dangerous ball into Neil Robinson at the near post, being denied by a super instinctive save from Margarson who pushed the ball away to safety. Earl Davis tried to get on the score-sheet as Duffy’s cross from the right wing found him in space in the box, but he header the ball over from the edge of the 6-yard box.

Southport kept the Boston goal under incresed pressure with Duffy again cutting in from the right, with his shot dramatically palmed over the bar by Margarson, with the keeper again soon called into action as the resultant corner came out to Matty McGinn who again forced the keeper to escort the ball over the bar for another corner. Just after the half hour, Adam Flynn got the ball following a corner, but his shot just screamed wide.

Southport amazingly found themselves two goals down early in the second half, as Earl Davis was adjudged to have pushed Ollie Ryan in the box, as the visitors made one of their rare ventures forward, with Jon Rowan striking the ball low to his left, with McMillan predicting correct, but the ball to pacey for the keeper to get his hand on.

After that, Southport faced an Alamo style defence, which they found difficult to break through, with the only chance falling near the death as Kilheeney skimmed his header just wide.