SOUTHPORT 2

NORTHWICH Vics might have escaped with a victory against Worcester City .

But they were punished for a below par performance on Saturday against a side with only five league wins this season.

In truth, Vics deserved a draw. They woke after a slumbering start to the first half and positively rallied in the closing stages.

That was despite the absence of the spine of their team. Defensive lynchpin John Robertson and lively striker Neil Illman were both suspended while creative dynamo Steve Walters was injured.

Two defensive lapses allowed the Sandgrounders to twice take the lead - after they had seized the initiative from the off.

The real difference between the sides was Lee Elam. The forward, a recent addition to Paul Futcher's struggling squad, scored in each half after seeing Dean Greygoose parry an earlier effort.

He headed his side in front a minute before the break, beating Chris Duffy to substitute and ex Vics skipper Brian Butler's looping far post cross.

And he restored the initiative 20 minutes into the second half, at the second attempt. He hammered the ball home from Furlong's cross after his initial bullet header was brilliantly saved by Greygoose.

That cancelled out Paul Tait's equaliser, scored within 30 seconds of the restart to give the majority of another big Drill Field crowd reason to be cheerful and cap a strong performance on a dispiriting day.

Tait found time and space to nod the ball past Billy Stewart after Stuart Terry's telling cross was headed back across goal by Nathan Peel.

Most will have thought the equaliser signalled the end of Southport's challenge.

Vics had recovered as the first half drew on, after surviving a number of scares from their visitors. Elam's had a fierce volley pushed out to Guyett, who blasted just over, while Trundle went close twice and Bolland saw his power header well saved.

But, with Val Owen beginning to stamp his authority on the game, Vics grew in confidence.

Peel saw his low drive from outside the area stopped by Stewart and Mark Devlin was unlucky to head Darren Vicary's cross onto the roof of the goal six minutes before the break.

But Southport refused to crumble, even if it was only resolute defending which stood between Vics and a second equaliser.

The Greens could have snatched a late second, when Peel drove the ball home 15 minutes from the end. But his celebrations were cut short when the linesman ruled him, and possibly Owen, offside when Stewart blocked Devlin's initial shot.

Vics continued to press for a second but were continually frustrated by the Southport defence. And with time ticking away, Owen was dismissed for a needless second bookable offence.

Vics: Greygoose 7, Duffy 5, Birch 7, Crookes, 6, Simpson 6, Owen 7, Terry 6 (Cooke 80), Devlin 6, Peel 6, Tait 8, Vicary 7.

Southport: Stewart 6, Farley 6, Ryan 7, Guyett 7, Bolland 6 (Butler 42), Horner 7, Furlong 6 (Ross 72), Gouck 6, Trundle 7 (Thompson 78), Gamble 8, Elam 9.

Bkd: Owen (sent-off), Peel, Duffy; Bolland, Furlong, Horner, Guyett. Ref: Mr A S Hogg; Att: 1, 628. MoM: Paul Tait

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.