Amadou Bakayoko stepped off the bench to ease Southport clear of the relegation zone as they edged a five-goal thriller at Nuneaton.

Southport flew out of the trap and two goals inside eight minutes put the visitors in control.

John Marsden fired home the opener in the 15th minute before Richard Brodie’s close-range finish looked to have put the game to bed in the 23rd minute.

The gap was narrowed, though, with 38 minutes on the clock when Onome Sodje headed home.

And just seconds later Brodie blew a chance to grab his second. Gareth Dean fouled Paul Rutherford inside the box but Brodie’s spot-kick was comfortable for James Hogarth-Wren in the Nuneaton goal.

Four minutes after the break Nuneaton made Brodie pay for his profligacy with a drilled leveller from the right foot of Ryan Smith to even things up.

But with 11 minutes to go substitute Bakayoko nodded home from close range to secure a memorable away win.

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