Southport 5 Stafford Rangers 1
Nationwide Conference
At: Haig Avenue
Kick-off: 3-00 pm
Attendance: 1012
Weather: -
The margin of what was described as Southport’s ‘finest win of the season’ came as a surprise.
In difficult windy conditions, a disappointing game came to life when the home side took the lead in the 33rd minute. Carl Baker sent a low right foot shot into the net between the left-hand post and the diving Robbie Duggan.
Dino Maamria to double the lead four minutes later when he netted at close range after Rangers failed to deal with Mark Duffy’s cross.
The home side scored again on 41 minutes. From a free kick outside the area, Mark Boyd spotted a gap and sent the ball straight into the top-left corner.
If that wasn’t game over, it certainly was two minutes after the restart. Baker drove his second goal from the left into the far corner of the net.
With Rangers unable to mount a fight back, confident Southport found the net again in the 71st minute. Maamria met a cross from Duffy and volleyed home.
Substitute Danny Edwards netted a consolation six minutes later and that goal went in with the help of a big slice of luck. His initial shot was blocked by keeper Terry Smith with the ball rebounding off Edwards and into the net.
Southport (yellow/black/yellow): Smith, Birch, Hocking, Lee, Powell, Duffy, Boyd, Holland, Baker, Maamria, Gray. Subs: Lane (for Lee, 68), Blakeman (for Boyd, 79), Tait (for Maamria, 84), Paterson, Newby.
Stafford Rangers (blue/red/red): Duggan, Sutton, Daniel, McAughtrie, Talbott, R. Gibson, Griffith, Lovatt, Murphy, Madjo, Grayson. Subs: White (for Grayson, 46), Edwards (for Gibson, 63), A. Gibson, Murray, Alcock.
Referee: David Coote (Newark)
Attendance: 1,012.
