Magnificent Mo and hot-shot Rio fire Boro to superb 5-1 home win against Southport

But there were top performances throughout the team as Jono Greening’s side treated the fans to another exciting feast of slick passing football.

The only bad news being Lewis Maloney limping off with a tight groin after just seven minutes.

A cagey opening 15 minutes saw Luca Colville tackle Christy Edwards on the edge of the box in Southport’s first attack, and when Boro got forward a low cross into a crowded goalmouth from Luke Hall was hacked clear by Kyle Jameson.

Boro then took control and an Allan shot was blocked by Ted Lavelle, before they opened the scoring when a right wing corner from Luca Colville was palmed away by keeper Somolon Honor, and Fadera smashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.

Colville was on top form, and he began a terrific passing move that also involved Hall and Fadera, and ended with Allan firing over.

Jack Waldron shot into the chest of Homer, an Alex Purver-Hannan corner to the back post was headed into the goalmouth by Will Thornton to Jake Hull, whose thumping header was pushed over by Honor.

Alex Brown fed Colville, who twisted his way past two defenders and fired just over.

Boro doubled their lead when Dom Tear had a shot blocked by Max Davies, the rebound falling to Fadera, whose shot-on-the turn nestled in the bottom left corner.

It was terrific stuff from Boro, reminiscent of the dominant first-half display in the previous home game against Spennymoor, and they added a third goal, again from a Colville corner, as a scramble developed, and centre-back Hull, back after his one-game suspension, slammed in from close range.

In rare Southport attacks, Lavelle fired a long-range shot straight at Ryan Whitley, and Edwards went on a couple of surging runs down the left.

Boro twice went close just before the interval, as Hall teed up the excellent Colville, who shot was pushed wide by Honor, then Colville sent Allan racing through, but the keeper dived to tip away his goal-bound strike.

Southport were much more competitive after the break, and enjoyed a lot more possession, but not before Boro added a fourth goal, when Hall began the move, Tear flicked-on, and Allan lashed his shot past keeper Honor.

For the visitors, a Malakai McKenzie shot was blocked by Thornton, then Lavelle fired against the left-hand post, with Luke Griffiths smashing in the rebound to reduce the arrears.

Harry Perritt headed wide, McKenzie shot straight at Whitley, Luke Burgess and Williams shot wide and Lavelle and Burgess both fired over.

A Thornton sliding tackle halted a run from McKenzie, as Boro, led by skipper Thornton were strong defensively, and they added a fifth goal, when Brown headed forward to Allan, who jinked past two defenders and netted inside the left-hand post.

Late on, Thornton shot just over, and both Allan and Kieran Weledji had great chances to add to the tally, but Honor twice saved with his legs, and in stoppage time a fracas involving more than a dozen players ended with a red card for Southport’s Burgess, an unfortunate ending to a great game of football,

BORO - Whitley, Waldron, Brown, Hull, Thornton (c), Purver-Hannan, Hall, Maloney (Tear 7), Allan, Fadera (Weledji 76), Colville (Stuttard 86), unused subs - Pllu, Colley.

SOUTHPORT - Honor, Pike (Perritt 61), Davies (R.Griffiths 46), Jameson, Dwyer, Lavelle, L.Griffiths, Edwards (Williams 46), Slew (Mackenzie 34), Burgess (c), Ogwuru, unused subs - Minihan, McMillan.

REFEREE - Richard Holmes.

BORO GOALS - Mo Fadera 16, 34, Jake Hull 37, Rio Allan 49,84; SOUTHPORT GOAL- Luke Griffiths 51.

GOAL ATTEMPTS - BORO 16 (11 on target) SOUTHPORT 10 (4 on target).

CORNERS - BORO 5 SOUTHPORT 2.

OFFSIDES - BORO 1 SOUTHPORT 1.

RED CARD - Luke Burgess (Southport 90).

YELLOW CARDS - Alex Brown (Boro), Dan Pike (Southport).

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Mo Fadera.

ATTENDANCE - 1,530 (76 away).