Colne 3 Southport XI 1

Colne came out on top against a young Southport side at the Holt House Stadium on Monday evening. The Reds were pressed all the way in an entertaining game which was a useful run out in their build up to the coming season.

Colne took the lead after nine minutes when Jack Holt headed home Dan Ajidagba’s right wing cross in a flowing move.

Southport looked for a quick equaliser and tested Colne keeper Harry Turner with a series of good attacks but the Reds keeper made some good saves to keep a clean sheet at this stage. Colne had a good chance on the half hour when Ben Horne’s run and pass inside to Tristan Fitzpatrick opened up the visitors’ defence but his shot flew just over the angle at the far post.

As the second half began, a Colne attack was cleared by the visitors and in an end-to-end move they found room for a 25 yard shot which flashed across the goal and just inside the far post to level the scores at 1-1. Five minutes later, Colne restored their lead when Holt fired home with the Southport defence in disarray after the keeper was left in no man’s land.

With Colne’s next attack, Fitzpatrick saw his shot come back off the post after Holt had released him with a through ball. And with the Reds in the ascendancy, they increased their lead to 3-1 on the hour with a good shot from new boy Dan Jones on the edge of the area.

Ajidagba came close with a couple of chances for Colne but Southport threatened with good attacks at the other end only to be denied by the Reds keeper. And Colne ran out comfortable winners in a closely contested game played in the right spirit.