MATCH PREVIEW: SOUTHPORT VS BOREHAM WOOD

Wood make their second trip this season to Merseyside this weekend when they visit Haig Avenue, home of Southport FC for just the second time. Following on from a fruitful visit to Tranmere Rovers last month when a very youthful Wood side put up a good fight despite going down 2-1.

Southport who year on year have managed to dodge relegation, this season find themselves very much in serious danger of relegation to the National League North. Having struggled all season they find themselves with their 3rd permanent boss of the season in Andy Preece.

Unlike last year when Dino Maamria came in and saved the club – pulling them to safety with games to go after spending much of the season like us looking over our shoulder. Andy Preece hasn’t had the same affect that Chairman Charles Clapham would have liked which sees the club rooted to the bottom of the table.

Southport will need to win 6 of their last eight games to have any chance of staying up. It was after our home defeat to Southport last year – where many saw that as the result that sent Wood down, however Chairman Danny Hunter gave rallying speech and lifted the dressing room and supporters. Since then the squad hasn’t looked back winning 3 on the bounce last year to stay up and sitting comfortably in midtable.

Southport are yet another ex League Club that could see them playing outside the top tier of Non League Football next year. The Sandgrounders enjoyed League status from 1921 right up until 1978, when they were historically the last team ever to be relegated under the old re-election process.

Since then they became inaugural members of the Conference North back in 2004, which they won at the first time of asking. After two seasons in the top flight of Non League football they were relegated. However after finishing up as losing play off semi finalists twice they swiftly rejoined the National League as Champions at the end of the 2009-10 season.

The current player to watch is 25 year old leading scorer Louis Almond.

Southport v Boreham Wood.

Saturday March 24^th, kick off 3pm.

The Merseyrail Community Stadium

Haig Avenue,

Southport.

PR8 6JZ.