Carlsberg don’t do Southport matchdays. But if they did, it would probably go something like this. Once the euphoria abated and normality had been restored, the Sandgrounders will most likely have felt aggrieved by their failure to secure a victory that would have guaranteed Nationwide Conference football next season.
But less of what might have happened and more on what was a fantastic occasion – because another afternoon like this will surely confirm their survival. As the door closes on a campaign that has produced many of the wrong emotions for those in yellow, this was the day when pride was resorted. The visitors at Edgar Street outshined their opponents – and not just on the pitch.
In terms of numbers and volume, the 182 followers who journeyed over 300 miles to provide the proverbial twelfth man, displayed the passion and faith that would grace any stage. During an afternoon that represented a new era on the terraces, they cheered, chanted and beat the drum without relenting from the first whistle until their departure.
The club’s independent supporters’ trust holds its official launch this Thursday evening and if an excellent first venture is a gauge for things to come, then the future looks promisingly bright.
A sublime eighty-ninth minute strike from Liam Blakeman was the least deserved by everyone who had travelled down from the north-west. It was another tenacious, resilient and determined performance from Southport – and although they arrived with the primary aim of thwarting their play-off bound opponents, the visitors themselves created the game’s most obvious opportunities. Having fallen behind to a seventy-sixth minute header from substitute striker Adam Stansfield, the Sandgrounders showed tremendous character to retrieve a deficit that threatened to spoil their day. Manager Liam Watson threw on attacker Mark Jackson and it soon paid dividends.
The on-loan Preston striker broke down the left having been released by Jerome Fitzgerald, before a pull-back to Blakeman, who composed himself and curled a glorious twenty-yard effort into the top right hand corner.
If Watson’s side can gain a point at Grays Athletic on Tuesday night and Forest Green Rovers fail to collect anything from their trip to Woking, then survival at Haig Avenue will be ensured regardless of any off-field happenings. A season may be a marathon, but the determined sprint with which Southport have concluded the campaign is well worthy of seeing them cross the finishing line. Although home advantage in the second leg of the end of season lottery was already a certainty, Hereford United are still to ensure they maintain second place. Despite a promising start, however, the hosts were punctured by a disciplined rearguard and soon became short of ideas. With four minutes gone, Stuart Fleetwood’s low drive was turned around the near post by a fine save from goalkeeper Steve Dickinson after good work by Rob Purdie, before Danny Carey-Bertram failed to find the target with a header from Alex Jeannin’s cross.
Carey-Bertram had the ball in the net on the half-hour, only for play to be brought back for a foul on Craig Stanley by Gary Brabin, while shots from Fleetwood and Andy Ferrell were harmlessly misplaced.
Although the efforts of Blakeman and Carl Baker, both industrious in a compact midfield, failed to trouble ‘keeper Wayne Brown, Southport came the closest to opening the scoring three minutes before the interval.
An astute pass from Baker released Steve Daly, who jinxed past defender Tamika Mkandawire, only for the fingertips of Brown to send his shot trickling tantalisingly against the base of the post.
In first-half stoppage time, defender Brabin headed wide from a corner that was won by the endeavour of Blakeman, while the veteran campaigner also saw his venomous free-kick deflected the wrong side of the upright shortly after the re-start.
Five minutes of the second period had elapsed when top-scorer Daly worryingly hobbled off to be replaced by Neil Robinson, but it was Hereford who benefited from a substitution of their own. Having missed ten weeks with a depressed cheekbone fracture, striker Stansfield was introduced at half-time and minutes after shooting wide, he gave the hosts the lead.
Jamie Pitman combined with Simon Travis, whose sweeping right-wing centre was nodded past Dickinson by the former Yeovil Town frontman from six yards with seventy-five minutes gone. It was one of few well-constructed moves for the hosts, who had spent a sustained period on the back foot.
But robbed of their just reward during the reverse fixture a month ago, Southport were not to be denied this time. After Baker had shot wide and Robinson tested Brown, it was Blakeman who capped a memorable afternoon with truly a stunning strike – shifting the ball infield after Jackson’s pass, before unleashing a precision finish that sent the travelling support into delirium.
‘Trust in yellow’ was the message of the day. Will the faith of the fans be repaid? Probably…