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SOUTHPORT TOP OF THE LEAGUE
Report and photos by Sally Devine.
SOUTHPORT were aiming to finish the day at the top of the Conference North, taking advantage of several other games being postponed due to the weather.
Struggling Stalybridge had little to offer in the way of direct shots on goal but Southport fared marginally better in the first half, the game failing to ignite.Farrell Kilbane coming forward to bolster the attack for the Sandgrounders,forcing Priestly to make a fine save from his close range shot.Smith for Stalybridge hit a swirling shot wide of Dickinson.
Terry Fearns, leading goal scorer for the Port had to wait until early in the second half before opening his account.A corner kick by Baker was blasted goalwards by Kevin Lynch, Fearns chesting the rebound into the net despite the efforts of Priestly to save it.Stalybridge heads went down at this point as Southport stepped up a gear, piling forward with Kevin Leadbetter seeing plenty of the ball on the left.
On 78 minutes the home side extended their lead, Carl Baker played the ball from the right wing in the direct path of Terry Fearns who despatched his shot in style past Priestly in the Stalybridge goal.The visitors were forced to defend in numbers as Southport finished the game on top.
Four players were booked for Southport and two for Stalybridge.Jimmy Williams being shown a yellow for a rash tackle on Caldecott which resulted in the Stalybridge man being stretchered off the field.
So the Sandgrounders go into the New Year on top of the pile looking to extend their lead on Sat Jan 1st 2005 when they play the return game at the Bower Fold Stalybridge.
Southport:- Dickinson / Pickford / Fitzgerald / Kilbane / Davis / Morley / Baker / Lynch / Fearns / Robinson / Leadbetter
Stalybridge:- Priestly / Bowman / Caldecott / Bowker / Keeling / Sykes / Smith / Parr / Hayward / Hadland / Wharton
Attendence:- 1,101
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