Two goals from super-sub Steve Daly secured Southport a place in the fifth round of the Setanta Shield after a magnificant 2-1 win over Wrexham.

With the Port formation changed considerably for this fixture, the side took a while to settle, although they did very well keeping their hosts at bay. Despite the threats from Jon Brown, Wrexham’s only early chance came from a 25 yard free kick as Adam Flynn felled Brown, with Nathan Woolfe’s free-kick dipping just over the cross bar. Just before the half hour, Wrexham had their first shot on target as the ball came through to Levi Mackin from a corner, going through a crowd of players before Tony McMillan collected to deny the chance.

Southport were finally un-done five minutes from the break when a long ball from the Wrexham half landed kindly for Marc Williams, who walked the ball past McMillan, placing the ball into the back of the net from a tight angle.

Southport had a good chance early in the second half, as Mark Duffy was pushed out to the right wing, trying to get the ball across from a counter-attack for Neil Robinson, but the advancing striker was just unable to connect with the ball at the back post.

Steve Daly forced Southport&’s equaliser as Duffy squeezed the ball into Steve Daly, who had only been added moments earlier, who got beyond Steve Evans into the Wrexham box, only for the defender to foul the Port striker, with Evans receiving a red card, and Daly to recover to bury the penalty low to his right, with Williams diving the wrong way as the ball went into the net.

The Sandgrounders got their tails up following the goal against the ten men, with a sense of achieving a victory. Alan Moogan saw his shot from the edge of the box deflect just wide, and Mark Duffy continued to cause problems down the right channel. Duffy persisted minutes later after he was fouled, getting a low ball across the box, only for Daly to mis-kick at the back post, with the ball coming back out to Moogan, whose blast from the edge of the area forced Williams to clear for a corner.

Shaun Gray struck a free-kick just over the bar with minutes to go, as extra-time loomed, with a final effort wasted as Matty McGinn darted down the left wing, getting a good ball into the box, only for Daly to hit the ball agonisingly wide. The game exploded minutes before the end, as Sam Williamson was given his marching orders for a foul on Mark Duffy, and moments later Alan Moogan saw straight red as the referee remarkably sent him off, indicating that he had used his elbow.

Steve Daly got his second five minutes into extra time as a left wing run from Robbie Booth got the ball high into the Wrexham box, with Daly nodding the ball home at the back post, under the challenge of two-defenders. Andy Fleming gave the home side their best chance of reply early in the second period of extra-time, as his thunder-bolt from 25 yards came crashing back off the cross bar. Southport counter-attacked with Duffy breaking getting the ball to Matty McGinn who just glanced his shot wide. McGinn had another chance towards the end, but Southport held on to secure their place against Barrow or York in the next round.