Southport manager Liam Watson is looking for an immediate response from his side and piece together another formidable run.
Their magnificent run of form came to an end against Kettering Town as they slipped to a 2-1 defeat.
Days earlier, Jordan Archer’s brace including a stoppage-time winner extended their unbeaten run in the league.
Kettering’s win handed the Yellows their first loss in the league since York in early October as Liam Watson’s side remain in the play-off positions.
Confidence remains high at Haig Avenue as they remain five points clear from the nearest challengers outside the play-offs with Southport sitting 12 points off league leaders Gateshead.
“We certainly ground our result out on Saturday, the games a bit similar,” he told Off The Park.
“I think on Tuesday, at half-time in my heart of hearts I couldn’t see us scoring, the wind changed and we were facing a blowing wind in our face all we had to do was defend for 45 minutes and that’s how it panned out.
“We had one slight switch off in concentration and they’ve got a goal, we’ve never really looked like we were going to get behind them which elements whatever you’ve got to give Kettering on the day they played the conditions better than we did.
“If I look on the balance on play, we got a last-minute winner at Bradford, think that was deserved, a late winner against Guiseley, I think that wasn’t really deserved, I think we’ve potentially could’ve took a point [against Kettering].
“We’ve took six points better off which performances dictate, we’ve just got to take it and move on, it’s been a great run, players have been fabulous, I think the toss would’ve made a difference in the game but take nothing away from Kettering, it’s not an easy place to go, they asked questions and we let a bit of concentration go.
“Numerous teams have done that against us, we just have to move on to Chester on Saturday.
“I think anyone who went to watch football on Saturday would’ve known how difficult it was, the wind is howling as it was against Kettering.
“In the calm of day it’s called a leveller, a lot of the time, the ball bounces you lose track of it in the wind it’s hard to make first contact, sometimes you’ve got to ride your luck, we rode our luck Saturday, we didn’t against Kettering.
“It is what is it, put the results back and go into Chester and get back on another unbeaten run.
“The sign of a good side is how you respond to a setback, it’s all well and good when people are patting you on the back saying this, that and the other but an awful lot has gone on in the last few weeks positivity around the club, I back our lads to respond and do well.
“There was nothing wrong with the effort and attitude, we took another coach load, they sang all the way through on a Tuesday night which is giving us unbelievable support.
“If you’d of got a point, we’d of come home delighted but we didn’t, in the 95th minute against Bradford we were looking at a point, we got three so it’s swings and roundabouts, on the balance of play we’re still top of the form table over 15 games in the league so that says a lot about the players.
“Every team in this league is up for it, there’s no easy games. Chester should always be challenging at the top of this level, they’re a massive club, it hasn’t happened for them this season it hasn’t happened for a lot of teams this season.
“You always expect Chester to bounce back because they’re the type of club players would want to play for.
“We don’t get carried away when we’re winning and we’re certainly not going to get carried away when we have a setback.
“I’ve been doing the job long enough it’s swings and roundabouts if you told us where we were going to be after we lost to York and you said next time you lose it’s in February I’d think you were mad.”
[Featured image: Julia Urwin – Southport FC]
