Southport defender Michael Carberry expressed his delight at scoring his first goal for the Sandgrounders.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring after combining with Josh Hmami and powering past Paul Jones at the second time of asking.
Carberry has endeared himself to the Port faithful since arriving from Northern Premier League West side Bootle, last season. He made his move up the football pyramid permanent when he put pen to paper on a contract with the Yellows at the end of the season.
His goal put Liam Watson’s side in the lead against King’s Lynn Town but the title hopefuls clawed their way back into the game 13 minutes left on the clock.
“To be honest when I scored I didn’t even know what to do,” Carberry told Off The Park following his man of the match performance. “I was just running round in circles, it’s nice to get off the mark, right peg as well.
“Yeah, a bit of a goal drought but it was nice. [We were] Unfortunate at the end to be fair but the lads were quality, we dug deep for the whole game and we had chances at the end there. The free-kick as well to snatch it but overall, solid.”
Stephen Cleeve’s side were denied the chance to go top of the league but for Southport it was the second game within a week that they hosted the National League North promotion contenders.
MATCH REPORT: Southport 1-1 King’s Lynn Town: Port push on as the Walks denied top spot
REACTION: Liam Watson makes ‘good’ Southport claim in King’s Lynn Town draw amid play-off battle
Firstly against Brackley Town where Port lead but had to come from behind to secure a 2-2 draw. They then came close in a tight affair on Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old believes the recent results are a marker that they’re not just a bogey team. He said: “It just shows how much we’re in the mix and how good we are as a team.
“Everyone’s focusing on who we’re playing, they’re up there – this and that – but at the end of the day, we’ve gave them both a good game and could’ve won the pair of them. We just kick on.
“They’re full-time and last 15, it showed which it was bound to but thought overall we coped with them well and they didn’t really pose any threat.”
Speaking after winning the Yellows’ Player of the Month for August, Carberry revealed that he wants to improve on his productivity. After opening his account for Southport, he hopes it is the started.
“Hopefully [the start], maybe not with goals but assists,” he added. “I had a bit of a nosebleed going towards the goal so it was alright.
“I enjoy it, I like being in the final third of the pitch so the more opportunities I get there, the better,” he continued on his recent change of role to wing-back. “Fitness is key in the wing-back role, I don’t mind it, I enjoy doing both.
“Everyone’s disappointed but like Liam [Watson] said, at the end of the day it is what it is, we’ve played against the top two teams in the league who everyone fancies and it just shows where we are. We’re not far behind,” he concluded.
[Featured image: Julia Urwin – Southport FC]
