Arrived home about 45 mins ago after a very pleasant drive back to Bolton, despite the awful route it is to Southport across Lancashire.
After a fairly slowish start for the first 10-15 mins when Southport had most of the play, it was a game which we might well have won 6-1 and not been flattered by such a scoreline.
An excellent all-round team performance today. The team looks so much better balanced with Thanoj back and just the two playing up-top.
I'm sure the usual guys will be posting their detailed match reports and their take on things, but I must mention the two excellent quick fire saves Peter Crook made whilst it was 1-0. Even a couple of Southport fans I was talking to (sat in the away section of the main stand) were applauding.
Both said they were impressed by our play, mentioning four of our players in particular (by shirt number) as the type of players they wished Southport had - Abbott, Thanoj, Knowles & Thewlis.
One of them was even reminiscing about when we won there in the FA Cup in the early 1970s as a NPL side and they were in the Football League 4th Division. Both he and I were at that game as teenagers and we"re both now in our 60s. Talk about making you feel old!! Lol!!