Second hat-trick in a week for George Newell as Southport FC win 9-2

By James Houghton

There were goals galore at the Pure Stadium on Saturday afternoon as Southport FC beat Longridge Town 9-2 in a hastily-arranged friendly.

The match included a second hat-trick in five days for striker George Newell.

Port took the lead inside three minutes as an attempted clearance by Longridge goalkeeper Aiden Hunt ricocheted off the back of Newell’s head and into the net.

The home side then almost added a second less than 60 seconds later as Connor Woods shot from just outside the box after turning away from a defender but his shot was straight at Hunt who parried behind for a corner.

Longridge levelled the scores in the eighth minute as Harvey MacAdam unleashed a shot from outside the box that nestled into the bottom corner.

However, captain David Morgan would restore the hosts lead on 17 minutes as the ball fell to him 20 yards out, the skipper lofting a ball over Aiden Hunt who was left stranded in no man’s land.

Longridge went level again in the 21st minute as Troy Carsley latched onto the end of a deep free-kick to poke in at the back post.

But from there the floodgates opened for Southport.

Port went 3-2 ahead in the 31st minute as Marcus Carver twisted and turned inside the box before firing a low shot beyond Hunt into the bottom corner.

Less than 60 seconds after taking the lead, Newell added another as he received the ball with his back to goal, turning his defender before slotting home a tidy finish into the bottom corner.

Six minutes later, in the 38th minute, Woods made it five with a superb goal. Cutting inside from the left-wing before firing a strike into the top-right corner.

Woods then almost added another on the stroke of half-time, breaking away on the counter but his shot, which looked destined for the bottom corner, was palmed behind for a goal kick.

It took just seven minutes of the second half for Port to add their sixth goal as a trialist controlled the ball inside the box before finessing the ball into the bottom corner.

Another trialist almost made it seven in the 54th minute as he drove from central midfield post two defenders and into the box but the finish wasn’t quite there as his shot agonisingly rattled the foot of the post.

Less than a minute later it fell to Longridge keeper Hunt to keep Port out as a tremendous triple save stopped a trio of Southport trialists from scoring in a goalmouth scramble.

But George Newell would complete his second hat-trick in as many games as he ghosted into the box and fired in a cross at the back post with a sweetly struck volley that almost ripped a hole in the net.

Longridge had a great opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 63rd minute as a cut-back left one of Longridge’s attackers with a shot completely unmarked on the Port penalty spot but the wild strike was high and wide.

A minute later Newell near had a fourth of the afternoon as he once again found himself unmarked at the back post from a free-kick but his volley forced a quick reaction save out of Hunt to send it behind for a corner.

Number eight was added from the penalty spot by Jack Sampson in the 68th minute after a trialist was brought down in the box. Sampson stepped up to take the spot kick and fired it to the keeper’s right, sending Hunt the wrong way.

The hosts nearly added a ninth in the 73rd minute as Jack Doyle crossed the ball into the box with Connor Woods on the end, his volley was blocked and it bounced out to a trialist who’s follow up shot was put narrowly over the bar.

The trialist who scored Southport’s sixth went close to adding a second to his name in the 76th minute as he took the ball on the edge of the box, dribbling beyond a defender before forcing a low save out of Hunt.

Port’s goal glut would be completed in the 77th minute as Jack Sampson laid the ball off to Woods on the edge of the box, with the young attacker finishing calmly into the corner to complete a special afternoon for the Sandgrounders.

• This Wednesday (August 26) will be the final ‘Walkabout Wednesday’ at the ground. People are invited to enjoy a stroll around the Pure Stadium on Haig Avenue in Southport between midday and 1pm. 

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