A look ahead to the weekend visit of Southport to Aggborough…
By Matty Paddock - 08/04/2022
Posted 4 years ago
Harriers welcome old non-league rivals Southport to Aggborough on Saturday with both teams eager to get back into the groove.
The Sangrounders, like Harriers, are very much in the play-off picture in National League North but have found recent form hard to come by.
They’re without a win in five, having previously put together a run that saw them flying high at the top of the division’s form table. In fact, between the end of October and start of February, they tasted just one defeat in 19 matches in all competitions.
Most recently, they fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Kettering last weekend, while Harriers were beaten by Alfreton in midweek.
Both sides must now arrest their slumps in time to ensure their play-off places are confirmed – and that they enter that end-of-season campaign with some semblance of confidence.
For boss Penn, the margins in recent weeks have been fine – including in Tuesday’s defeat. He now wants his team to keep plugging away to force a change of luck. That, he says, will help the flow of results that he knows will come soon enough.
“That’s football, and it is fine lines,” he told our YouTube channel.
“We are competitive in most the games we play. Even on Tuesday night when we weren’t at our best, we were still competitive, and it was fine lines.
“We hit the bar, they hit the bar… yes, they deserved the win at the end of the day and I’ll hold my hands up for that, but we have [also] drawn those games and won those games this season and nothing gets said.
“With the rut we’re in at the moment, we’re not getting the luck because you don’t deserve your luck.
“We are where we are and we’re still in a fantastic position and really looking forward to the end of the season.
“There’s seven games and 21 points to claim, and three points on Saturday.
“We can only do it one game at a time and it’s all about the next one.”
Of Southport, managed by the veteran boss Liam Watson, Penn added: “They’re seventh in the league and are there for a reason.
“They’re hanging on to the play-offs, along with a few other clubs, but they’re like us and haven’t really hit their form in the last six games, so we’re two clubs looking to rectify it and put it right.”
Penn confirmed Alex Penny is available once again after picking up an injury at Bradford a week ago.
We’d like to advise supporters who sit in the Main Stand at Aggborough that due to some maintenance impacting the walkway at the rear of the stand, this area will be inaccessible up to and beyond the Directors Box area. As a result, Season Ticket holders and those with general match tickets will be unable to access the ‘South’ section of the Main Stand and will need to be seated within the ‘North’ end of the stand only.
Capacity and ticket availability has been adjusted accordingly to account for this, so nobody with/who purchases a ticket will be unable to find a seat. Nonetheless, we apologise for what we hope will be a very temporary Inconvenience.
Harriers and Southport fans are reminded that there is no longer the facility to pay cash at the turnstiles at Aggborough.
You can still pay in person on the day of the game at the Ticket Office (including in cash), but this incurs a £2 increase on our standard match day prices, so your best bet is to purchase in advance of the day if you can – as this will also potentially save you some queueing!
You can do so online via our ticketing platform or, if you need assistance, by calling 01562 823 931 during opening hours.
Again, it is still possible to buy your tickets at the Ticket Office (up to 15 minutes after kick-off), but you can’t pay cash at the turnstile.
Don’t miss out on Saturday’s match day programme. The Harrier is enjoying one of its best season season’s yet, and you can pre-order Issue 24 right now for free delivery right to your door.
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