Motors fail to stall Port’s parade

Apr 30 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

Motors fail to stall Port’s parade

Vauxhall Motors1

Southport2

VAUXHALL Motors rounded-off their days in the Blue Square North by just failing to break the hearts of the large travelling contingent from Southport.

Needing a victory at Rivacre Park to ensure themselves of a place in the play-offs, the Sandgrounders got off to the best possible start scoring twice inside the first 10 minutes through Neil Prince and Neil Robinson.

But then Motors keeper Lloyd Rigby, signed on his release from Rochdale in March, produced a string of impressive saves to keep the same margin well into the second half.

And when Motors hot-shot Paul Taylor curled a free-kick over the wall and beyond the visiting keeper on 70 minutes, after a storming run by Tom Hannigan was brought to an untimely halt, it was not beyond the realms of possibility that Motors were about to spoil the play-off party.

The Wirral side gained strength from that goal, but Southport defended stoutly over the next testing 10 minutes before finally reasserting themselves towards the final whistle, courtesy of a 2-1 success.

Motors manager Carl Macauley now starts his rebuilding plans in readiness for next season’s return to the UniBond Premier Division.