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There is of course a slight sense of triviality to this match in light of recent tragic events in Southport, but perhaps the relatively inconsequential stuff such as a game of football can give some small relief and structure to those who have been through such unimaginable awfulness recently, so with that in mind and for what it’s worth…
As someone shrewdly said after Tuesday’s match, it’s always a bit galling not to beat at home a side with more players on the pitch than supporters watching them. Tuesday’s draw with Peterborough felt a bit ‘lossy’, but to feel gloomy afterwards yet still be unbeaten three games in smacks of a healthy dollop of expectation among Bulls fans this season, and why shouldn’t there be?
Four points always looked like a perfectly acceptable return from the Peterborough and Southport games, but now those points have to be earned the much more difficult way round with a win at Haig Avenue, always tricky even when it’s not Haig Avenue but The Big Help Stadium. Three points would be a big help.
Saturday’s hosts have acted with dignity and compassion lately in being a pillar of the local community when that community was in need. On the pitch, the Sandgrounders went into their midweek game with a 100% record having beaten Alfreton at home and Needham Market away, but they came away from Spennymoor empty handed on Tuesday, losing 2-0 to a ‘very strong’ Moors side.
Last season was a quiet one for Southport as they flirted with the drop. This followed losing their last eight matches and avoiding relegation by a point in 2022/23. Fallow times indeed then at Haig Avenue, er, The Big Help Stadium, in recent years.
Despite that, they were quite fancied in the pre-season betting markets, with the bookies perhaps impressed with the summer shopping activities of manager Jim Bentley.
Nathaniel Knight-Percival has been signed at centre back. The ex-Sloppie finished the 2023-24 season on loan at Tamworth from Kidderminster, following the latter’s promotion in 2022-23. He’ll turn 38 this season, but as we saw with Michael Gash on Tuesday, age needn’t be a barrier to being a barrier as a defender at this level.
Sam Minihan was at Buxton last season and picked up the supporters' player of the year award. He’s signed a two-year deal, and if his availability came about as a result of the Bucks going full-time it was a shrewd move to pick up one of their better performers. He also played nearly 200 games for Stockport County.
Fan favourite and main goal getter Marcus Carver has finally actually properly signed for the club, having been on loan from Scunthorpe for most of the last two seasons. He got 12 goals in a poor season for his club last time, so now that he’s formally become a fully-fledged Sandgrounder he should be well motivated to comfortably surpass that total.
Southport have of course forgotten more about the dark arts of anti-football than such johnny-come-latelys as Alfreton and Leamington have ever known. The tendency is presumably still there lurking in a musty corner of their locker, but there have been signs in recent seasons that they’re either losing the knack or have become bored of it.
The Bulls will need to be several notches better than the half-hour of playground kick-and-rush that was served up at the end of Tuesday’s draw. The deterioration in shape and tactical awareness seemed to coincide with the withdrawal of Matt Preston. The ex-Kidderminster player has looked to be a really solid defender so far, the sort of player Paul Caddis alluded to when suggesting that the mindset when defending set pieces should be that whoever you’re marking will not under any circumstances score a goal from that set piece. He will hopefully have recovered from a reported niggle to be fit for 90 minutes here. Grit away at Southport is always useful to have, unless it’s in your sandwiches on the beach.
Potential returnees include Andy Williams, Lawson Dath and Aaron Skinner, although whilst it would be great to have the latter back in the starting XI, it would require an overhauling of the formation that is far too complex for me to even begin to think about. Having said that, there was seemingly no formation for that last 30 minutes the other night so maybe it doesn’t matter.
Regardless of who plays, a return to the form of that second half against South Shields is needed, given that the two matches in between have thrown up more questions than answers.
Finally, and to return to the earlier theme, I’d never assume to speak on behalf of anyone else, but I’m sure everyone connected with Hereford FC will be standing in solidarity with the people of Southport on Saturday.
COYW