Southport end campaign on a high against Telford

By Daniel Hayes, www.southportcentral.co.uk

Southport ended their league campaign with a 2-0 win over AFC Telford United at Haig Avenue, in front of a crowd of 2,002.

With little at stake, there was a relaxed and positive atmosphere around the ground on a sunny afternoon, and the performance matched it.

The Sandgrounders started well and took the lead after 15 minutes in style. McKenzie drove forward before finding Jordan Slew, who took a touch and fired an excellent strike into the top corner from 25 yards.

In the process, Slew finished joint top scorer alongside Arthur Gnahoua and Chris Sze, with 12 goals for the season.

Telford responded with a good spell and created a number of decent chances, but Chris Renshaw produced a couple of important saves to keep Southport in front.

Southport managed the game well from that point, limiting Telford to half chances.

The second goal arrived on 86 minutes and again it was well taken. Ben Collins surged through the middle from full-back, played a one-two with Hallam Hope, and finished confidently into the far corner to seal the win.

With minutes to go, Academy player Tom Cowen was introduced for his first-team debut.

It ensured Southport finished the campaign on a positive note in front of a strong Haig Avenue crowd, with a good atmosphere for a game that had little riding on it.

We will be posting an interview with Neil out on Monday.