Southport 3Vauxhall Motors 0

SEVEN points from safety, now there are only 12 points left for Motors to play for after Southport turned their survival battle from tough to desperate.

The promotion-chasing Sandgrounders were never going to present Motors with an easy win, but the ability of the Motormen to raise their game against the division’s top sides this season gave them a glimmer of hope.

But at Haig Avenue, that hope grew dimmer as Southport made their chances count.

Possession-wise Motors matched them but possession does not win games and Southport always looked dangerous with Steve Daly and Chris Simm in attack.

The first clear-cut chance fell to Simm after 10 minutes when Daly looped a ball over to him but he somehow got underneath it and shot over from six yards out.

The Sandgrounders broke the deadlock on 31 minutes with a gift from unfortunate Motors loanee Rory Winters.

The ball was crossed into the box and the defender, under no pressure, headed into his own net.

Motors’ best chance fell to Lee Furlong just after the interval when he connected well with a Brian Moogan free kick, but his diving header from close range was well saved by Tony McMillan.

Southport had to wait until the hour mark for their second goal.

After being played in by Matty McGinn, Daly found himself one-on-one with James Coates and comfortably slotted the ball past the onrushing Motors keeper.

The home side grabbed their third goal on 75 minutes when Simm headed home from a corner whipped in from the left.

Bruised and staring defeat in the face, the Motormen then had a penalty awarded against them and full-back Lee Dames was sent off after the referee spotted him hauling down Simm when through on goal.

Daly took the resulting penalty but James Coates saved well to his left.

Vauxhall: Coates, Owens, Dames, Winters, Hannigan, B Moogan, Furlong (Noon), Brown, J Macauley (Noone), Wilson, Grice. Subs: Egerton, Mustafa, Smith.

Attendance: 826.