Southport 3 AFC Telford 2 - match report

It was like a plot from a movie, an action thriller featuring dodgy defending, fine finishing and unrelenting drama, writes Alex James.

Telford were three down inside 20 minutes, pulled it back to 3-2 by the break and had enough chances to win the game in an enthralling second period.

There was even a final twist in the tail with the award of a last minute penalty, but there was to be no happy ending as Sean Newton saw his spot kick saved.

And while great entertainment for the neutral, the first 20 minutes would have been a real horror show for Telford fans.

They started the game so slowly, they were in reverse.

Thirteen minutes proved unlucky for Ryan Valentine as he lost the ball in midfield. The impressive Shaun Whalley broke quickly and incisively down the Southport left, was afforded too much time by a backtracking Greg Mills and Will Salmon before cutting inside to curl a 20 yard strike into the far corner that left Ryan Young rooted to the spot.

Just four minutes later it was 2-0. The hosts were somewhat fortunate to pick up a loose ball on the edge of the box but there was nothing wrong with Dan Walker's finish, the striker stabbing home neatly from 18 yards with a left footed effort that kissed the far post on its way into the net.

Telford were chasing shadows and it soon got worse. Andy Owens' long throw, which caused regular problems for the visiting back line, was met by the head of Kevin Lee and he angled home a third almost unchallenged.

Andy Sinton cut a frustrated figure on the bench as he stood and watched his team flounder in the rain.

But, from nowhere, a rainbow appeared.

Andy Brown was tripped by Steve Akrigg on the edge of the box and Mills stepped up to curl the free-kick into the net and give Telford hope.

Within two minutes they carved open a suspect Southport backline once again.

Debutant Chris Sharp played a low ball in from the right and Brown was on hand to prod it home.

Suddenly it was Telford making all the running and Sharp came close to a debut equaliser shortly before the break but he just couldn't connect with Brown's low centre.

If the 1,123 strong crowd thought the second half couldn't possibly be as lively as the first, they were wrong.

For, although there were no goals, there was plenty to keep those who hadn't braved the rain on the away terrace on the edge of their seats.

Telford felt they should have been awarded a penalty just 60 seconds after the re-start when Sharp pounced on some indecision in the home defence, lifted the ball over keeper Matt Nemes and went down under contact from the stopper, nothing doing said referee Scott Duncan to the consternation of the visiting bench and supporters.

The Bucks continued to threaten with Newton curling a shot over, Brown seeing a header cleared off the line and Richard Davies coming close with a long range effort.

But Southport served notice that they were still in the game just after the hour mark. Godfrey Poku saw his shot blocked and the ball fell to dangerman Whalley whose left footed drive was smartly beaten out by Young.

Sinton introduced Nathan Rooney and Alex Meechan from the bench, to add to half-time substitute Dwayne Samuels, and gambled on a 3-4-3 formation in search of an equaliser.

And it very nearly came in the final minute. Sharp was found in space on the right and his centre was turned goalwards by the impressive Samuels only for the effort to deflect on to the post.

That appeared to have been the last chance saloon.

But it transpired the bar was open just a little longer as Phil Trainer was needlessly felled in the box by home substitute Russell Benjamin and referee Duncan pointed to the spot.

The usually reliable Newton stepped forward but his weak effort, the last kick of the game, was saved by Nemes and the Bucks were left to reflect on what might have been.

Another Mission Impossible attempted, but unlike Bank Holiday Monday's fightback at Tamworth, the sequel left the Bucks empty handed.

Match analysis by Alex James