Southport 3 Darlington 0

Doyle (4 mins, 1-0) Hmami (43 mins 2-0), Carver (83  mins, 3-0)

Quakers went home pointless from Haig Avenue.

They failed to cope properly with Southport's constant long throws, which greatly encouraged the home side especially in the first half.

They still created some good chances, but the defence couldn't get to grips with Southport at the other end.

And to make a bad night even worse, Luke Charman was red carded in the last minute following a scuffle on the field.

Southport thought they were breaking through in the first minute when a ball was flicked on for Jordan Archer to latch on to, but Kallum Griffiths got back well to tackle him.

 Southport took the lead on 4 minutes when a corner came over from the right for Chris Doyle. who had already caused a nervous moment with a long throw, to head firmly past Taylor from six yards out.

Southport kept the pressure going, and Charlie Munro couldn’t quite get on the end of a left wing cross.

In Quakers’ first real attack, Griffiths crossed from the right for Jake Cassidy to have a header blocked, but the referee pulled him up for a foul.

Southport put the Quakers defence under pressure with some long throws from Doyle that they managed to get away, then Doyle headed a left wing corner wide.

Quakers went close on 21 minutes. A right wing corner by Jarrett Rivers was headed towards goal by Jake Cooper, and the ball was hooked off the line.

Quakers had another chance on 29 minutes. Kevin Dos Santos picked the ball up on the left, cut inside, beat two men and from the edge of the box fired wide.

And a minute later, Dos Santos set up Ben Hedley, who hit a 25 yarder just over the angle of post and crossbar.

Southport’s Marcus Carver put a free kick wide from the edge of the box, while after Quakers forced three corners at the other end, Kevin Dos Santos, on the turn, fired wide.

But Southport went 2-0 up just on half time. Another long throw by Doyle was helped on for Josh Hmami to head past Taylor from a few yards.

Luke Charman nearly pulled one back in stoppage time with a left foot effort that went right across the face of goal and narrowly past the post.

Half time 2-0

Quakers nearly got one back at the start of the second half. Hatfield played a short free kick with Wheatley, and his curling right foot shot beat Cameron Mason but ended up in the side netting.

In the space of five minutes, Quakers sent on three subs, with Jack Lambert, Alex Purver and Andrew Nelson coming on for Rivers, Wheatley and Dos Santos.

The switch nearly worked when Griffiths crossed from the right for Nelson to head wide.

Griffiths then moved up after the ball was cleared to him, and his right foot shot was saved at full stretch by Mason.

Another sub Jack Lambert, turned well in a tight situation in the box and found space, but fired into the side netting.

But Southport made sure with seven minutes left, when Taylor failed to gather the ball just inside his area under pressure, and Marcus Carver ran on to sidefoot home.

Southport were awarded a penalty for a foul in stoppage time, but Taylor saved Niall Watson’s spot kick.

There was a scuffle involving players from both sides in the last minute, which saw Bainbridge of Southport and Charman sent off

Full time Southport 3 Darlington 0

Team: Taylor, Griffiths, Cooper, Storey, Hedley; Hatfield, Wheatley; Rivers, Cassidy, Charman, Dos Santos 

Subs: Mondal, Lambert, Nelson, Purver, Rose

Southport

Mason, Oliver, Doyle, Anson, Tharne, Munro, Archer, Carver, Doyle, Hmami, Bainbridge

Subs: Woods, Buckley-Ricketts, McMillan-Snelson, Vassalo, Watson