Southport will have to return to Blue Square North just one season after promotion after suffering gut-wrenching last-day relegation to the lower league. It all started well for Southport who got some good results in the early weeks of the season and seemed able to make the step up. They were relying on a lot of spirit and commitment and the physical approach seemed to be bringing good results. However, the momentum was lost by the end of September and the team managed to won just one of their subsequent 17 games in the league in a run that stretched all the way to January. The players lost confidence and the other teams quickly started to find them out with the gap in quality becoming apparent. The team suffered some really confidence-shattering defeats along the way and Liam Watson seemed to have a real job at his hands lifting their tails up. However, the squad was boosted from January onwards by the signing of former Everton trainee John Paul Kissock who showed his class throughout, linking up play and making the team more incisive. Southport raced to a number of emphatic home wins in January and February with York impressively beaten 4:0 while two other teams suffered big defeats as well. The only worry was the away form as the team was just struggling on the road, winning just one point on their visits from October until March. Thus, they could not pull away from the danger zone despite looking impressive in most of their games and the doubts have crept in again. The players were running out of steam and their confidence was further damaged by big defeats at the hands of Luton and Crawley in successive games as the end of the season drew near. However, just when it looked like they will go down, a win at Tamworth and a draw at home to Darlington meant that a point in the final game away at Kettering would ensure safety. And with the game locked at 1:1 until 87 minute, Southport conceded twice at the death to suffer the dreaded defeat and finish in 21st which meant relegation by the narrowest of margins.
