Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

DROYLSDEN 0 – 0 SOUTHPORT

Blue Square North – Saturday 21 March 2009

Report by Gary Owen

Both teams should consider this a hard-earned point, as both played with full commitment and endeavour, but this was ultimately a game well marshalled by both defences.

With chances at a premium, it looked more and more likely that a single goal might settle matters, and the best chances were probably those of Southport's Chris Lever just after the break, and Alan Smart in the final minutes.

Neither ‘keeper had much to do in the first half, with Alan Moogan firing two weak shots at Craig Mawson in the Droylsden goal before former Blood Steve Daly volleyed over from a Kevin Leadbetter corner.

Just before the half-hour mark, Carl Ruffer was caught in possession by Leadbetter, which enabled Ciaran Kilheeney to break free, but Liam Brownhill came to Droylsden's rescue.

Tony McMillan did save the Sandgrounders just before the break, when neat play from Droylsden presented Steve Beck with a chance to shoot, but a great reflex save from the Southport custodian prevented an otherwise certain goal.

Lever's shot on the turn from Leadbetter's cross was too high on the stroke of half-time, and moments after the break came the full back's best opportunity to give the visitors the lead, but he headed Matty McGinn's cross wide from an unmarked central position.

Jamie McGuire got first to a Sean Newton free kick for Droylsden, his header flying over McMillan's bar with the Southport ‘keeper just unable to get to the ball.

Daly won possession from Neil Sorvel on the half-way line to free Leadbetter, but Mawson came off his line to collect on 68 minutes.

With time running out, both teams were clearly keen to take maximum possible points, and Jody Banim, making his third debut for The Bloods, twisted and turned from Carl Lamb's knock down, but he fired over.

Then came Smart's miss as the otherwise impressive Steve Halford allowed McGinn's cross to go over his head, but the Southport substitute fired wide back across the face of goal from the far post.

Banim again had the Southport defence turning, but he shot wide from Beck's pass before time ran out.

TEAMS:

Droylsden

Mawson, Brownhill, Newton, Ruffer, Halford, Sorvel, Brown (Lamb, 70'), McGuire, Speight, Banim, Beck.

Unused Subs: Roche, Byron, Pickford, Tipton.

Southport

McMillan, Lee, Lever, Flynn (Gray, 36'), Connolly, Moogan, Leadbetter, Winn, Daly (Smart, 76'), Kilheeney (Booth, 61'), McGinn.

Unused Sub.: Moore, Drench.

Referee: Mr. D. R. Street (Normanton, West Yorkshire)

ATTENDANCE: 489