Goal chances were rare in a well contested encounter as Southport recorded a first clean sheet of the season and Saints a third successive clean sheet in the league.

“It is frustrating and a missed opportunity for us,” Gavin Cowan said. “We created some chances and should have put them away. We need to be more clinical in that final third. We perhaps played a little bit safe at times which is frustrating because we had spoken about that ahead of the game. The detail, the final pass, just wasn’t quite there today which is not the level we expect.”

Matt Lowe and Scott Pollock had the clearest chances of the first half, Lowe firing into the side netting when well placed and Pollock bringing a close range save from Chris Renshaw as Southport failed to test Jonny Maxted. The home side came a little more into the game in the second half, Danny Lloyd almost finding the net with a long range effort and Marcus Carver heading wide under pressure.

This was thin fare for spectators otherwise enjoying a fine, sunny afternoon but keeps Saints in 12th and ‘Port in 17th place in the tightly bunched league table, just five points separating 14 teams.

Brackley Town: Maxted, Dean, Lilly, Lyttle, Craig (Cross 81), Lowe (Carline 71), Bates (Hall 71), Byrne, Pollock, Roberts, Newton. Subs unused: Abbey, Worby.

Southport: Renshaw, Knight-Percival, Lloyd, Morgan, Carver (Thomson 87), Moore, Keane, Burgess (Spooner 73), Minihan, Stafford (Russ 87), Philliskirk. Subs unused: McMillan, Quansah.

Referee: D Watson Assistants: G Eaton and D McDonald 4th official: K Chell
Attendance: 1058

PIC by Julia Urwin (Southport)