Gravesend & Northfleet 0 Southport 4

GRAVESEND'S Nationwide Conference play-off hopes were all but ended on Saturday as they went down to a heavy home defeat to struggling Southport.

The Fleet got off to a poor start going behind inside 10 minutes. Southport broke quickly following a Gravesend corner and the move ended with Mark Duffy beating Lance Cronin from 30 yards.

And things got worse for the home side on 17 minutes when Tony Gray collected Dino Maamria's pass and netted his 10th goal of the season.

The game was put beyond Gravesend's with 16 minutes to play when Sasha Opinel was adjudged to have fouled Duffy in the box. Opinel was dismissed for a second bookable offence and Carl Baker scored from the spot.

And the misery for Liam Daish's side was complete five minutes from time when Gray notched his second and Southport's fourth.

Gravesend: Cronin, Hawkins (Moore 60), R Smith, McCarthy, Opinel, Ledgister (Keeling h-t), Long, Quinn (Eribenne 60), Slatter, Sodje, MacDonald.
Subs Not Used: Mott, J Smith.
Attendance: 1,432.

* Keep up to date with all the news from Stonebridge Road every week in the Gravesend Messenger.