Southport edged Buxton 3-2 with early goals from Sonny Hilton and Josh Popoola followed by second-half strikes from Danny Lloyd and David Morgan, securing the win despite a late goal from Kieran Burton.
The game began cautiously, with both sides probing for an early advantage. Southport’s Jamie Proctor had the first significant chance, but his shot was blocked.
The breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Southport's Hilton opened the scoring. Hilton received a pass from Lloyd, skillfully turned away from his marker, and slotted the ball past Buxton's keeper to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Buxton responded quickly, leveling the match just five minutes later. Popoola, showcasing his individual brilliance, made a great run before unleashing a stunning strike into the top corner, leaving the Southport defence and keeper with no chance.
As the first half progressed, Buxton tried to gain control, with Tommy Elliott being booked in the 31st minute for stopping a Southport counterattack. The visitors continued to press, with a corner in the 39th minute ending up comfortably in the Southport keeper's hands after a header from Ethan Mann.
The second half saw Southport regain the lead in the 54th minute. A long throw from Keenan Quansah was flicked on and eventually fell to Lloyd, who instinctively fired it past True Grant to make it 2-1. Buxton pushed for an equalizer, with Burton coming close in the 76th minute, but his header from a cross went just wide of the target.
Southport nearly extended their lead in the 81st minute when Marcus Carver intercepted a pass from Mann and advanced on goal, but his shot trickled just wide.
However, the hosts didn't have to wait long for a third goal. In the 90th minute, some cleverpassing play in the box between Southport's substitutes led to Carver setting up Morgan, who calmly finished past Grant to seemingly seal the victory at 3-1.
Buxton refused to go down without a fight, and in added time, Burton found the back of the net with a header, giving the visitors a glimmer of hope. However, it was too little, too late, as the match ended 3-2 in favor of Southport.
Buxton will be looking to bounce back when they travel to South Shields on Tuesday.
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