National League North result.Southport 0 Curzon Ashton 0

It somehow finished all square at Haig Avenue tonight and the sides shared the points after a very entertaining 0-0 draw.

The same score as in the away encounter on Boxing Day but a very different game with Southport creating no fewer than sixteen good goal scoring opportunities to Curzon’s one.

You always felt that the home side would grab a goal such was the domination of the game but it was not to be and you have to credit our visitors for some resolute defending who almost did a smash and grab with a golden chance in added time that was well saved by Cam Mason in the Southport goal.

The chances started as early as the second minute when Jordan Archer was left in acres of space 8 yards out but only managed to hit the post. This was the theme of the night as chance after chance went begging.

Archer, Tyler Walton, Jack Bainbridge, Connor Woods and new boy Declan Evans all went close to grabbing a goal but at half time instead of being 6-0 up the sides were level.

The pattern continued in the second half as Southport pushed forward constantly but try as they might they couldn’t find the end product. A very confident shout for a penalty after a foul in the box on Tyler Walton was waved away in the 70th minute and with time ticking away another penalty claim went unrewarded in the 84th minute which angered the Southport faithful.

Some 0-0 games are boring, this one wasn’t and Southport stay in 6th place.

George Newell returned to the club from Marine and came on as sub for the injured Jordan Archer in the 56th minute.

Dec Evans  signed today from Mossley and considering he hadn’t met the lads until he turned up at the ground was excellent and looks to be a great signing. The clubs agreed that he would play last night, given the injury to Doug Tharme and then return to Mossley until the end of their season which finishes a couple of weeks before ours meaning he will return to Southport  for the final few games.