Huge crowd see rivals draw

Jan 2 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

THE biggest attendance for a league game that Victoria Park has seen in 30 years ensured fans did not go home disappointed yesterday, as Blue Square North rivals fought out an entertaining yet honourable draw.

And after a delayed kick-off, the destination of the points remained in doubt until the final whistle.

it was Burscough that took the early advantage, thanks to a Ciaran Kilheeney goal, the Linnets marksman twisting past two defenders and curling his shot into the Port net after Allan Smart set him up.

The Sandgrounders levelled 10 minutes later. Mark Duffy thumped the Burscough crossbar with a free-kick then Neil Robinson punished his former team-mates by stooping to head home the rebound.

The second half, like the first, was an end-to-end affair. Robinson of Southport rattled the Linnets woodwork in the 59th minute, while Kilheeney and Brain Moogan were kept at bay by quality saves from Southport keeper Steven Drench.

BURSCOUGH: McMillan, Flynn, Clancy, Davis (B Moogan 31), Kilbane, A Moogan, McGinn, Price , Smart (Dunn 80), Kilheeney, C Noone (Booth 71) Subs not used: Roberts, Hibbert.

SOUTHPORT: Drench, Lever, Barratt, Hocking, Lee, Holmes, Duffy (Prince 64), Blakeman, Robinson, Gray (Houghton 84), Powell Subs not used: Noon K., Hine, Whiteside. REFEREE: DW Stewart. ATTENDANCE: 1,404.ATTENDANCE: 1,404.