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 the first time in their history. Following on from a fruitful visit to Tranmere Rovers back in August when Wood bagged a superb victory, it is hoped for more of the same given Wood’s current League position.

Back in the bottom four after a poor display at home to Torquay United, Wood need to start picking up maximum points to succeed in the mini relegation table they currently find themselves in.

Southport were party to that table, rooted in the bottom four until the arrival of Dino Maamria as Manager in late November

Tunisian born Maamria has both played for and managed Southport previously. He has an ominous Northwich Victoria connection too, having kept them in the Conference North back in 2008!

Following on from his managerial spell there he has been honing his managerial skills as a faithful number two to Graham Westley, spending seven years under him at both Stevenage and Preston North End.

Maamria, Southport’s 7^th manager in two and a half years picked up twenty three points from his first eleven games in charge, sending the Sandgrounders rushing up the table to apparent safety.

The Tunisian’s 5 out of 5 wins in December rightly earned him the Manager of the Month accolade.

Since then just one victory and three draws from their last seven games, leaves the Merseyside outfit 7 points above Wood in 16^th spot in the table.

Southport are yet another ex League Club that Wood will be keen to test themselves against. 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 24 year old leading scorer Louis Almond. He signed from Hyde United on transfer deadline day one season ago and has found the net in the League on eleven occasions to date.

With Chairman Danny Hunter kindly subsidising luxury coach travel for the Wood Army this weekend, it is hoped that the fans will have a day to remember (again) up on Merseyside.

Southport v Boreham Wood.

Saturday February 27^th, kick off 3pm.

The Merseyrail Community Stadium

Haig Avenue,

Southport.

PR8 6JZ.