Southport 2 Marine 1

Griffiths and McKenzie fire Southport to Sefton derby victory over Marine

by Dan Hayes,southportcentral.co.uk

It had been framed as a meeting shaped by what might have been, but by full-time at Haig Avenue, Southport had given their Good Friday crowd something tangible instead.

In difficult conditions once again, with wind and rain sweeping across the ground, Southport came through a hard-fought contest to beat their nearest neighbours Marine 2-1 in front of 3,176 supporters, extending a run of form that now stands among the strongest in the division.

After the disappointment of last weekend’s FA Trophy semi-final, this was about response. And for much of the first half, Southport delivered exactly that.

They were the better side throughout the opening period, controlling the game and asking most of the questions, even if clear-cut chances were at a premium. When the breakthrough came on 23 minutes, it was a moment of genuine quality.

Luke Griffiths, already influential in midfield, stepped up to strike a free kick from around 25 yards and curled a superb right-footed effort into the top corner. Jack McIntyre got a hand to it, but the strike had too much pace and precision, to give Southport the lead. It was no more than they deserved, and they carried that advantage into the interval.

Marine, however, emerged with renewed purpose after the break and quickly began to shift the momentum. Southport were forced deeper, with Tom Moore outstanding at the heart of the defence, while Griffiths continued to dictate play in midfield under increasing pressure.

The equaliser, when it came, had felt inevitable. Chris Renshaw had been forced into a number of saves and with the swirling wind causing problems from corners it was no surprise when one eventually produced the goods.

An initial header from Wardle struck the bar with Renshaw beaten, only to fall kindly for Jolley, who knew little about it as the ball struck him less than a couple of yards from goal.

At that point, the game could easily have swung away from Southport. But where this side has grown in recent weeks is in its ability to respond.

Neil Danns has made a habit of impactful substitutions, and once again, they proved decisive.

Danny Lloyd injected energy and intent, driving forward with purpose before pulling the ball back into the area. McKenzie did the rest, producing a moment to match Griffiths’ earlier strike, flicking the ball up and pivoting eight yards out before dispatching a superb volley to restore Southport’s lead.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game, and this one proved no exception.

Marine pushed again in the closing stages, but Southport held firm, despite an extroaordinary 9 minutes of injury time, to secure three points that almost guarantees safety. It feels odd to even think about safety when over the last ten games, Southport have produced what some would possibly consider title winning form, claiming 23 points from their past 10 games, the best in the division.

The Sponsors Man Of The Match who also receives the Adam Le Roi Trophy was Luke Griffiths.