Hereford United 0 Southport 1

After the disappointment of the midweek home defeat to Blyth Spartans Southport bounced back in style with a 1-0 win at fellow play off place chasers Hereford and complete the second double of the season.

A Charlie Oliver penalty, his first goal ever for the club, on 50 minutes was the difference between the sides.

Southport started the game well without creating many chances but George Newell and Lewis Mansell did come close. Hereford offered very little in the first period as Southport looked very comfortable but were unable to find the back of the net.

The game exploded into life in the 50th minute when the referee awarded the visitors a penalty after a handball in the area. With the regular penalty takers all on the sidelines it was down to Oliver to coolly slot the ball home to the delight of the travelling fans. At first sight it looked a harsh award but with the benefit of seeing it again the referee was spot on.

The second half was a much more open affair but chances remained few and far between with Cam Mason in the Southport goal having very little to do until a major contribution in the 79th minute.

A corner was swung in and the Assistant Referee adjudged there to be a foul on a Hereford player a foul not seen by the referee who was much closer to the action and after lengthy debate a penalty was awarded to the home side. It also looked harsh at the time but Mason pulled off the save to preserve the advantage.

Hereford were applying some late pressure without creating a lot and it was Southport who should have doubled the lead in the 89th minute when a breakaway saw Tyler Walton square the ball to Mansell who only had to tap home but ended up hitting the post.

Southport saw out the 7 minutes of added time to record the win much to the delight of all the Southport personnel present!