Harrogate Town gained their second comprehensive away victory in the space of three days, when they trounced Southport 1-4, at a wet and windy Haig Avenue.
The injured Jake Wright made way for David Morgan in the Town line up and the debutant made his presence felt within a minute of the kick off.
Morgan’s ball over the top released Joe Leesley and his pull back was turned in by Jordan Thewlis.
Southport were on the backfoot and Town stretched their lead after eighteen minutes when Thewlis claimed his second goal with an header into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
Three minutes before the break,Jack Emmett had a great chance to get onto the score-sheet when he was left,one on one with keeper Mark Halstead following Morgan’s through ball,but the keeper managed to block his effort.
The Sandgrounders were given a ray of hope after fiftyfive minutes, when the impressive Nathan Lowe’s forty yard drive was well saved by James Belshaw,but the Town keeper was ruled to have brought down Ethan Jones as he followed up for the rebound, which resulted in a penalty kick.
Roberts stepped up to the mark and shot past Belshaw into the bottom left corner to halve the deficit.
The Sandgrounders, however, could make little impression on the game as Town continued to dominate.
Josh Falkingham curled a shot just wide of the upright,while Halstead saved well from both Leesley and Ryan Fallowfield.
The Leesley, Thewlis, combination struck again with seventeen minutes left,when the striker completed his hat trick from Leesley’s cross.
With nine minutes left, Leesley put the final nail in Southport’s coffin, when he shot through a crowd of players, after Thewlis’s initial effort had been blocked on the line.
Town, Belshaw, Fallowfield,Parker, Falkingham,Kennedy, Burrell, Thomson,Emmett (Burdett 82),Leesley,Thewlis,Morgan.
Unused subs, Cracknell,Middleton,Day,Gooda. Booked,Belshaw,Parker.
Scorers,Thewlis 1,18,73. Leesley 81. Att.868
Southport, Halstead,Jackson,White,Jones (Merrie 53),Kpohomouh,Smith,Lowe,Schumacher(Fletcher 32),Roberts,Sampson,Jones (Sang 65).
Subs not used,Cockerline,Zama. Booked Sang.
Scorer,Roberts 55p
