Gray day spells end for cup underdogs

Oct 1 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

A SEVENTH-minute goal by Tony Gray settled the FA Cup second qualifying round North West derby in Southport’s favour.

But Skelmersdale, who ply their trade two divisions lower, bowed out with pride after an entertaining display.

The goal itself was worthy of the entrance fee alone, but Skelmersdale’s defence will be disappointed that they didn’t get their bodies in front of Tony Gray as he had enough time to engineer his overhead kick which sailed into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Aaron Turner’s shot in the 15th minute had to be turned around the post by Richard Whiteside and from that point on United took control of the game with Southport happy to catch the home team on the break.

David Eaton was given a free header in the 17th minute when Craig Noone played a lovely cross in at the near post, but the ball glanced off his head and spun across the face of the goal.

Mark Duffy’s cross in the 51st minute went unchallenged, but Liam Blakeman blazed his shot over the crossbar when it looked easier to score than miss.

Craig Noone came to life in the second half and tormented Southport with his foraging down the left wing, shimmying through tackle after tackle.

One such sortie came in the 59th minute when Noone glided through four men before briefly losing the ball, but Eaton managed to intercept and feed him on again. The final shot was directed into the keeper’s hands.

United pressed hard right to the end with Noone coming close to snatching a replay on three occasions, two of those efforts coming in injury time.

However Southport stood firm to deny the underdogs.