Bootle 3 – 1 Southport – Pre-Season

After a summer of wholesale change, Southport’s opening match of pre-season ended in defeat at Bootle.

There was a raft of new faces on the pitch for the supporters who made the trip to the TDP Solicitors Stadium, with a team consisting mostly of trialists playing the first half before the recently signed players took to the pitch after the interval.

Josh Hamilton scored twice and Daniel O’Connor added another as Bootle, from the North West Counties Premier Division, recorded a win.

Southport saw most of the early play and they took the lead on 37 minutes when a trialist striker netted a thumping shot after a clever show of skill outside the area.

Yet the Sandgrounders’ lead did not last until half-time, Hamilton equalising by sliding a penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.

In Liam Hynes, Southport have retained only one player from the squad relegated from the Vanarama National League last season, and he took to the field in the second half alongside a host of recent signings, including defender Adam Dugdale, midfielder Brad Jackson and attackers Jack Sampson, Ethan Jones and Kaiman Anderson.

Bootle took the lead on 67 minutes when Hamilton sent a 25-yard free-kick in off the left-hand post before O’Connor added a late third, taking a through-ball in his stride before applying a deft finish.

Sampson played the second-half as Southport’s central striker and he sent a header wide shortly after half-time before the visitors were denied a number of times by Bootle goalkeeper Jordan Gidley.

He saved from a trialist after a good exchange with Anderson, before turning wide a long-range effort from Hynes and diverting Dugdale’s header onto the crossbar.

Gidley also kept out Anderson and an angled shot from Jackson, helping Bootle claim the win.

Southport play their next friendly at Burscough on Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm at Victoria Park.

The Sandgrounders play three friendlies at home to EFL opposition, starting with the visit of Blackpool to the Merseyrail Community Stadium. The match is part of a family fun day, which begins as 12 noon and the match kicking-off at 3pm.

Report by Alan Jones