Scarborough Athletic battle back for another late point at Southport
A second successive 1-1 draw on the road, as Boro again came from behind to secure a point at Southport, with Richie Bennett slamming in the equaliser against his former club.
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions in Scarborough prevented many fans from travelling, but in Southport it was a sunny, though chilly afternoon.
Harry Green missed the game with a groin injury, but Michael Duckworth and Jake Hull returned from illness and injury respectively.
The hosts made a lightening start, as Wigan Athletic loanee Chris Sze burst clear with just 48 seconds on the clock and tried to lob keeper Ryan Whitley, who stood strong, and deflected the ball wide.
Boro’s first attack saw a Rio Allan shot on the turn, blocked by Dylan Dwyer, then Southport broke forward and Arthur Gnahoua passed to Sonny Hilton in the box, but Duckworth’s tackle cleared the danger.
Jack Waldron linked up well with Dom Tear and Allan down the right, but Boro struggled to create chances, although Tear, Waldron and Kieran Weledji combined to send Bennett free, and his ball into the area was hacked clear by Sam Minihan.
Southport looked dangerous going forward, but once again the Boro defence impressed, with keeper Whitley and skipper Will Thornton winning all the high balls.
A hard driven cross from Callum Edwards was headed clear by Duckworth, Whitley got down to save a low shot from Sze, a Gnahoua strike was deflected over by Duckworth, and from the resulting corner, Bennett blocked a shot from Teddy Lavelle.
For Boro, just before the interval a Waldron cross found Thornton, whose shot was blocked by Dwyer.
Southport went ahead soon after the re-start, when the pacy Sze was tripped in the area by Weledji, and got up to fire the spot-kick into the bottom left corner, sending Whitley the wrong way, to open the scoring on 47 minutes.
They almost doubled their lead three minutes later, when a terrific move involving Hilton and Gnahoua ended with the latter squaring to Sze, whose fierce shot forced a brilliant one-handed flying save from Whitley, who flung himself to his right to tip the ball wide, and soon after, a Sze volley was kicked off the goal-line by Alex Purver.
Boro boss Jono Greening made a triple substitution, bringing on Lewis Maloney, Ste Walker and Theo Chapman, and all three made significant contributions, as Boro began to create chances.
Chapman flicked-on to Walker, who forced home keeper Chris Renshaw to save at his near post, then Maloney headed to Walker, whose shot was blocked by Jordan Keane.
For the hosts, Gnahoua blazed over and Weledji headed clear when Gnahoua raced into the box, but Boro equalised when a Walker cross was punched away by Renshaw towards Bennett, who lashed a spectacular volley inside the right hand post.
Late chances saw Maloney tackle Sze as he latched onto a Malakai McKenzie through-ball, while for Boro, Bennett flashed a volley inches wide.
SOUTHPORT - Renshaw, Minihan, Dwyer (Collins 88), Griffiths, Lavelle, Keane (c), Hilton, Gnahoua (McKenzie 79), Sze, Slew, Edwards (Pike 68). Unused subs - Lloyd, Touray, Pickles, Burgess.
BORO - Whitley, Duckworth (Hull 68), Wadsworth (Walker 56), Weledji, Thornton (c), Purver, Coyle (Maloney 56), Tear, Bennett, Waldron, Allan (Chapman 56). Unused subs - Walpole (GK), Gibson-Booth.
REFEREE - Jordan Crossley.
GOALS - Chris Sze (Southport) 47 (penalty), Richie Bennett (Boro) 77.
GOAL ATTEMPTS - SOUTHPORT 7 (5 on target). BORO 6 (2 on target).
CORNERS - SOUTHPORT 8 BORO 4.
OFFSIDES - SOUTHPORT 0 BORO 1.
YELLOW CARDS - Jordan Slew (Southport), Kieran Weledji, Richie Bennett, Alex Purver (Boro).
BORO MAN OF MATCH - Ryan Whitley.
ATTENDANCE - 1,230 (50 away).