Kidderminster came from behind to claim the points at the Pure Stadium
It was a disappointing day in the office for Southport as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Kidderminster Harriers.
Port started off well and took the lead in the 19th minute as David Morgan fired in a thunderbolt from the edge of the box after Kidderminster failed to clear a Jack Doyle cross.
But the lead would only last for five minutes as a long throw was flicked on by Kidderminster defender Keith Lowe with the ball sneaking into the bottom corner of Dan Hanford’s net.
Port had the chance to regain the lead in the 36th minute as a Morgan corner was met by debutant Adam Anson at the back post as the defender forced an acrobatic save out of William Mannion with the goalkeeper pawing the ball away on the line. As such the teams went in level at the break.
When the sides came back out for the second half, the run of play was all in Southport’s favour.
Jack Sanders came close in the 47th minute as he cut in from the right wing, going on a mazy run past two defenders but he failed to keep his left footed effort on target.
Reagan Ogle was next to go close as he drove at Keith Lowe in the 55th minute, beating the Kidderminster defender before forcing a save out of Mannion.
Ryan Astles came close in the 67th minute with a chance that was almost a carbon copy of Keith Lowe’s first half goal. The defender flicked on a long throw in from Reagan Ogle but unlike Lowe, Astles header rolled just wide of the Kidderminster goal, letting Mannion off the hook as the goalkeeper struggled to scramble across the goal mouth.
But Kidderminster would have the winning goal just one minute later as Ashley Hemmings scored low into the bottom corner from long range. The Southport players argued vehemently that there had been a foul in the build up on Charlie Oliver but referee Paul Brown waved away protests as the visitors took the lead.
From that point onwards, Kidderminster switched into game management mode and stood firm against Port’s attacks with the home side struggling to create much until the end of the game.
Jack Sampson had a chance to equalise in the 89th minute as he used clever movement to get a free header in the box but his header struck the back of a defender and rolled out for a corner.
There was time for one more attack as substitute Connor Woods twisted and turned on the edge of the box in the second minute of injury time but failed to get any power on his shot as it rolled safely into the clutches of Mannion.
Southport: Hanford, Sanders, Doyle, Anson, Astles, Morgan, Benjamin (Woods 77), Oliver, Newell, Sampson, Ogle.
Subs not used: Albinson, Mohammed, Parry, Winnard.
Kidderminster Harriers: Mannion, Penny, Austin, R Williams, Moyo, Lowe, Prosser (Weeks 65), Butterfield, Chambers, Hemmings (Samuels 76), E Williams (Freemantle 87).
Subs not used: Johnson, Shenton.
Attendance: 903
Referee: Paul Brown
Written by James Houghton