MATCH PREVIEW | Southport v Maidstone United

Photo: Charlie Clapham

MATCH PREVIEW | Southport v Maidstone United

Southport are aiming to extend their unbeaten run to six matches on Saturday when Maidstone United make the trip north.

Both sides come into the game in buoyant mood, having secured replays against SkyBet League One sides in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup over the weekend.

Whilst Southport grabbed the limelight in the televised fixture against Fleetwood Town, Maidstone suffered late heartbreak as Rochdale equalised with the last kick of the game.

The Stones face a test in how they respond to last week’s sucker punch. Their league form has improved of late, winning their last two Vanarama National League matches after a run of four straight losses from the beginning of October. Resilience, therefore, is clearly not lacking in the Kent side.

That said, Southport’s resurgence has been both more impressive and more unexpected. Whilst Maidstone made a solid start to the season, the Sandgrounders’ disastrous start to the season makes their form of late borderline miraculous.

The foundations of the recovery were there for the nation to see on Monday as the midfield consisting of Declan Weeks and Jordan Lussey matched their League One opponents in every department for the most part, and Magnus Norman made a couple of superb stops.

Considering that Ryan Higgins has been a revelation at right back, Southport may well look at the day Steve Burr made that quadruple signing as the day that saved their season.

Victory for the ‘Port could result in daylight between themselves and the teams below them. York face a difficult trip away to Eastleigh and Braintree travel to Wrexham, meaning that there are no points to be taken for granted for either side. Meanwhile bottom club Guiseley face a Torquay side who are fast becoming a part of the relegation battle, and two more of the bottom four face each other in the meeting between Woking and North Ferriby United.

Considering then that there are guaranteed dropped points amongst Southport’s rivals, a win for the Sandgrounders will provide a major boost in their safety bid.

By Christy Byrne Southportfc.net

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