Dag & Red 1  Tony Roberts 3  Ashley Vickers 8  Paul Terry 10  Mark Stein 11  Paul Bruce 12  Steve Perkins 13  Junior 14  Danny Hill 17  Lee Matthews 20  Mark Rooney 24  Steve Potts Substitutes 5  Mark Smith 7  Mark Janney 9  Danny Shipp 15  Steve West 18  Paul Gothard

Goals   Soley (pen)   Soley   Thompson Stats 6 Goal Attempts 11 2 On Target 9 4 Off Target 2 0 Hit Woodwork 0 4 Corners 3 Cards Yellow Perkins Thomson   Winstanley Red Potts None Stein

Southport Steve Dickinson  1 Chris Lane  2 Dean Howell  3 Mark Winstanley  4 Barry Jones  5 Martin Clark  6 Steve Pickford  7 Marc Lloyd-Williams  8 Peter Thomson  9 Steve Soley  10 Steve Jones  11 Substitutes Andy Scott  14 Gary Bauress  16 James Connolly  18 Tony Sullivan  19 Neil Gibson  20

What had started as a game with two teams going for the win, was ended inside the first half by a referee who is the poorest ever seen at Victoria Road. It had started well for the Daggers as they had some good chances to take the lead. With an unchanged side from the win at Margate, Junior headed over the top after a good right wing cross. Then Stein scuffed his shot from a few yards allowing it to be cleared off the line. The Daggers started to get pegged back a little though and Steve Jones hit a volley following an undeserved free-kick, which Roberts did well to hold to his right. Martin Clark also forced Robbo into action with a decent save.

Perkins was then booked by the Carling Stand after winning the ball cleanly from the forward, but the Daggers fell behind soon after and just before half time from the penalty spot. Barry Jones headed goalwards and it seemed to be heading into the net until Potts blocked. The travelling fans let out an 'oooh' at the near miss, and the Southport players continued without appeal. The game went on for several seconds, and then out of the blue, Mr Yerby blew his whistle and awarded a penalty against Potts for deliberate handball. Even if it was handball, it is difficult to get you hand out of the way when the ball is hit at you from point blank range. But the ref saw differently and sent Potts from the field.

After Soley had dispatched a decent penalty, there was another incident that also resulted in a red card for the Daggers. This time it was Stein. The small Daggers' striker jumped with Barry Jones, and was clearly looking at the ball not the player. They both went up and Jones came down holding his face and performed several rolls across the Victoria Road turf. Stein did not seem to have waved an elbow with any malice, but again Mr Yerby saw differently and thrust the red card into the face of an incensed Stein.

At half time, three of Southport's substitutes were seen goading the Daggers fans in the 'Sieve' stand, until a policeman came across to stop them. Admittedly they were being given some verbal stick, bearing the brunt of anger at Barry Jones and the referee, but that was no excuse for their actions which could be seen as inciting a riot.

The second half was not the goal-rush that travelling fans may have expected. The Daggers used their anger to good effect and with their nine men definately held a lot of the play and looked far more likely to score. Danny Shipp lashed one into the keeper from the edge of the box after turning the defender, and several set pieces resulted in close shaves for the visiting defence. The referee again bought some diving antics as Howell went down in a heap after Janney's attentions, although the Daggers winger hadn't even made contact with the visiting defender. You wouldn't have thought that by looking at Howell in a heap on the floor.

The Daggers were battling really hard though and fully deserved to be still in it to near the end. However, the lack of numbers meant that they eventually succumbed as Soley netted a backheel after Sullivan's cross between goalkeeper and defence. Then towards the end, Thomson went through and made no mistake as he lashed it low beyond Roberts.