Southport 1 St. Albans 1

I had expected a good attacking game from Southport following their mid-week trip to Oxford. Sadly the match wasnt worth the trip up from Liverpool. Southport sleepwalked through the first half. Only a cross from Baker and some long ball tactics with Dino looked threatening. Sadly Dino retired duringt he first half and the side was robbed of one of the few players who look like they have played football before. Without Dino it was all midfield and no threat. If Southport could pass to their own side as well as they gave the ball away they would have looked much better.
0-0 at half time and neither side looking pretty.
Hoolickin came on at half time but rather than use him at leftback or left wing he played in centre midfield, and though he always tries hard and is good on the ball he was not in a position that best suited him. Carl Baker looked something like the player of seasons past but still dallies on the ball and loses posession. Its hard to say whether he had a good game or everyone else had a bad one.
Southport rather sportingly allowed St Albans to score a goal and take the lead. St.Albans then got a penalty and a chance to make it two nil, luckily for Southport Clarke hit the crossbar. Southport then realsised the point of a football match and decided to get a goal of their own, which they did 5 minutes later when prolific striker Tony Gray got his second goal of the season.
After that the game did improve slightly with both sides looking for the winning goal. Hoolickin, Boyd and Blakeman all had shots and Robinson made some good saves.
It finished in a draw, the biggest cheer of the day was for the missed penalty.
Hard to pick a man of the match given the poor performance so Baker and Robinson can share the honours.