Southport 2 Darlington 0

Attendance 647 (inc 78 from Darlington)

Goal: Bennett (17 mins, 1-0, 88 mins, 2-0)

Quakers are still without a win at Haig Avenue in 64 years after this defeat.

They couldn’t have had a better opportunity to stop that run, because they created and missed some very good chances.

The defeat leaves them second from bottom of the table, with leaders Tamworth coming along on Saturday.

Quakers nearly caught Southport on the counter attack in the second minute, Marcus Carver half hit a shot straight to Tommy Taylor, who cleared the ball first time downfield and Andrew Nelson just failed to get to the ball ahead of Chris Renshaw, the Southport keeper.

Quakers had a great chance on 5 minutes. Barrow played a good 1-2 on the left to get behind the defence in the area, and he pulled the ball back for Liddle, who couldn’t get a clean contact on the ball.

There was another chance when Hatfield and Moke combined to set up Platt, who struck a low right foot shot from 25 yards just wide.

Southport had their first chance on 12 minutes when Luke Burgess squared the ball for Carver, who toepoked his shot past the post.

And they had another chance on 15 minutes when a left wing cross was headed down for Danny Philliskirk to sidefoot wide from the edge of the area.

Quakers went behind on 17 minutes when Luke Burgess broke on the left and crossed into the middle where Richie Bennett mishit his shot against the crossbar, but recovered quickly to score from the rebound.

Quakers tried to reply when Moke set up Akwasi Asante 25 yards out, but the striker’s right foot shot went wide, and then Nelson got around the back and set up Asante, who couldn’t turn the ball in.

Nelson then tried his luck from the corner of the box, but his effort dipped over the bar.

They almost levelled on 41 minutes. Asante’s shot on the edge of the area from a Moke pass was blocked, and the ball came out for Ben Hedley, who controlled the ball and hit a dipping right foot shot that went just over the bar.

Half time:  1-0

Southport had a chance at the start of the second half when Carver picked the ball up on the right, got into the box, and fired across Taylor and past the far post.

Manager Steve Watson made his first change on 52 minutes, taking off Asante and replacing him with Curry.

There was an almighty scramble in the Southport six yard box on 58 minutes when Barrow against got round the back on the left, and his low ball prompted a huge scramble before Hatfield’s shot was deflected over.

Quakers made a second sub on 62 minutes, Salkeld coming on for Moke

Quakers got a corner on the left on 66 minutes which was curled in by Hedley, and Liddle’s back header drifted just wide of the far post.

There was a handball appeal when the Southport defence got in a tangle over a Barrow long throw, but the referee waved play on.

It was nearly 2-0 though when Brad Holmes chested down a diagonal ball, stepped inside and put a right foot shot wide.

However, Southport made sure when Fin Heath hit the post from 30 yards out from a free kick, and Bennett stepped up and scored his second of the game.

Final Southport 2 Darlington 0

Team: Taylor, Hedley, Lees, Lawlor, Barrow, Platt, Liddle, Moke (sub Salkeld 62), Hatfield, Nelson (sub Rivers 75), Asante (sub Curry 52)

Subs: Sukar, Windass

Booking: Liddle (foul 63), Hatfield (foul 87)

Southport

Renshaw, Thomson, Doyle, Flowers, Morgan (sub Hmami 70), Carver, Walton, Burgess (sub Heath 70), Squires, Philliskirk, Bennett

Subs: McMillan, Quansah, Holmes