Worksop Town beat Southport for first win of season
Worksop Town boss Craig Parry was delighted with his side’s improved second half showing as they earned their first Enterprise National League North win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Southport at the Windsor Foodservice Stadium on Saturday.
“I’m really pleased with the three points against Southport,” said Parry.
"I think at the start we were pretty poor.
“There were some strong words at half-time, and I think it was needed.
"The lads needed to believe in themselves. We’re in this league, we’re at this level, and we deserve to be at this level.
"They needed to start playing without fear.
“I think the second-half was everything we’re about, being direct, moving the balls into the box, running and first to every challenge and we didn’t give them a sniff of anything in the second 45.”
Southport began the brighter of the two sides, with an early defensive mix-up allowing Ne-Jai Tucker a sight of goal, though he poked his effort wide.
Liam Hughes then tried his luck from distance, sending a speculative 35-yard volley over the bar.
The visitors continued to threaten, as Mo Touray curled a strike over from the edge of the box.
Aaron Pickles later had a golden chance from a corner when a defensive header looped into his path, but the centre-back failed to keep his shot down.
The game was briefly halted due to a medical emergency in the stands, resuming after a 15-minute delay.
Southport maintained their dominance before the break, with Dylan Cogill flashing a snapshot volley wide to close the half.
The restart, however, saw a transformed Worksop side.
Just two minutes in, Joe Leesley’s long ball was flicked on by Hughes, then by Vaughan Redford into the path of Lewis Whitham, who turned smartly before rifling into the top corner for his first goal for the club.
The momentum firmly shifted, and four minutes later Leesley’s corner was met by Aaron Martin, who timed his run perfectly to head home for 2–0.
Worksop pressed on, with Aleks Starcenko dragging a shot wide after a spell of head tennis.
Mason O’Malley went close with a half-volley from the edge of the box, while Whitham and Hughes both threatened to extend the lead, but the hosts had already done enough to secure victory.