Southport manager Liam Watson is hopeful ahead of their visit to St James’ Park as they face title-chasing Brackley.
He admitted that his sides away clash with the Saints “won’t be easy” as they travel Northamptonshire looking to pick up their first win of the season.
It has been a tough start for the Port facing a number of the teams vying for promotion to the National League.
Currently, they sit on three points just a point off the relegation zone but with the season still in it’s early stages, the Yellows manager expects plenty of bumps in the road.
In their last outing, Watson’s side gave a brilliant account of themselves as they narrowly missed out on their first win of the season after a late fightback from Mike Williamson’s Gateshead ensured a share of the spoils.
Brackley have won four, drawing in their last meeting with Blyth Spartans, so far this campaign but have one of the best defensive records in the top half boasting a number of clean sheets, conceding just twice.
The opening run of away fixtures certainly haven’t been kind to the Sandgrounders, one that Watson would’ve liked to have avoided but despite their star, he is pleased with how his side have acquitted themselves with the aid of their supporters spurring them on.
“They’re a very, very experienced side, they’re very resilient,” he told Off The Park.
“I think they’ve only conceded two this season, they haven’t scored a lot but they’re keeping clean sheets and winning games they’re unbeaten – four wins and a draw out of five.
“Kevin’s [Wilkin] been there seen it, done it. We know what we’re going to come up against, it won’t be easy but then again we’ll certainly ask questions of them.
“What you do know at the start of the season is that you’ve got to play everyone twice.
“If you turn around to me and said your first four away games will be Spennymoor, Fylde, Brackley and York, you’re not really going to want it if I’m being honest.
“It’s been a bit cruel but listen it doesn’t need to say you beat everyone else.
“It doesn’t need to say we go to Brackley and York and lose neither, we showed enough at Spennymoor and we showed enough Fylde that we should’ve come away with something.
“I think you only need to look at the reaction of the fans. They’re buying into the team, they’re all having it, they’re all excited by it.
“There’s been no criticism at all. I think they quite like brand of football we’re playing as well so it’s a long way to the middle of May and there’s a lot more bumps in the road as we currently stand I think we’ll be fine.”
