Southport manager Liam Watson has expressed his frustration at refereeing decisions as they slipped to defeat at Blyth Spartans.
Port’s long layoff came to an end with a trip to the North East but it was in vain as they left empty-handed. Curtis Main’s first-half strike was enough for the hosts to seal an important win in their push for survival.
Although, the visitors had the ball in the net twice through Niall Watson and Josh Miles both of which were ruled out for offside. Jordan Archer was left in a heap following a high challenge with the Blyth goalkeeper but no penalty was given.
“In my eyes, we’ve lost a game but we haven’t lost the game,” Watson explained to Off The Park.
“We had two perfectly good goals offside when they’ve been categorically proven they were on by a long, long way, you’ve had a stonewall penalty against Jordan Archer where the refs bottled it so all in all I can’t really criticise the lads.
“It’s a long way to go on a Tuesday, traffic, late kick-off, get back at 25 to three. No one has given nothing but 100 per cent.
“We’ve just got to take it on the chin, they say these things level themselves out but hopefully it comes quickly because it’s becoming frustrating when you’re on the end of some crazy, crazy decisions.”
It wasn’t the first occasion in which a decision has been mentioned after incidents against Fylde and Buxton have went again the Yellows.
While it has added to the frustration of the Southport boss, they did have chances during the clash with the Coasters.
He added: “When it was the Fylde game and we got done by a penalty in the last minute when it’s not even close to being a pen, however there’s no one we can lame bar ourselves because we’ve had that many chances we could’ve won the game comfortably.
“So swings and roundabouts, the other night away from home in the north east, you’d like to think you’d be treated fairly but I don’t think we were.
“Things always move in the last minutes, at this moment in time nothing to report. Cam’s left so we’ve got money out of that deal, I’d like to think we’d keep this squad together, we can talk more on the February 1 on that,” Watson revealed on approaches in the transfer window so far.
“Keenan [Quansah] is back from suspension on Saturday which is a big positive for us, we’ll see where we are. We’re actively always looking to strengthen whether it’s now, March, April, May but we’re actively looking.
“That’s our job to make us better, nothing changes, we’re still one win outside the playoffs so we need to take it on the chin and keep winning,” he said ahead of their trip to bottom boys AFC Telford United as they look to return to winning ways.
“We need to perform as we have done and we’ll be fine. Anyone can beat you on the day in this league, there’s no question about that, we have to make sure we’re ready.
“We’ve scored two perfectly good goals on Tuesday, created numerous chances against Fylde, we’ve got people who can score we just need to get in the right areas.”
[Featured image: Julia Urwin – Southport FC]
