With Jimmy O’Connor in charge, Harriers had to settle for a point at Southport in their final away game of the season.

With Harry Flowers returning to Solihull in the wake of the defeat against Leamington, Harriers were forced to shuffle the pack – O’Connor shifted to a 4-4-2 formation with Harry Higginson slotting into the eleven, with Russ Penn also featuring from the off after playing the whole second half against the Brakes.

The first half was, to say the least, a fairly uneventful affair, with half chances coming and going for either side.

Good work from Chambers on three minutes allowed Ironside to get a shot off that was blocked, Horsfall soon after firing wide from an early corner.

Southport countered with good opportunities from Morgan and Platt, but neither seriously tested Tom Palmer between the sticks – the custodian not called into action until he needed a safe pair of hands to hold an effort from Morgan with 16 on the clock.

Five after the half-hour, Southport’s Richards fired over a free kick, with Williams, up at the other end, finding space five minutes later and advancing on goal before firing an effort well off target.

Harriers went close through Ironside with two minutes to play before the break, McAlinden going even closer when he arced a shot that fizzed a matter of inches wide. 

It may not have been a glaring miss, but Harriers would pay for it nonetheless when, in first-half stoppage time, the hosts took the lead as a simple ball up field was nodded on to Charles who superbly rifled his finish into the back of the net with Palmer helpless. 

Six after the restart the game really ought to have been settled by Southport as Sampson was gifted the ball inside the area – he rushed his effort, though, and with just Palmer to beat he somehow managed to curled it off target.

Harriers were dealt a blow two before the hour when Taylor was stretchered off injured, but were buoyed just a couple of minutes later when the equaliser arrived with Butterfield catching a strike on the edge of the area perfectly to send it past Hanford.

The joy would be short-lived when, on 65 minutes, Charles added his second of the game in following up on Sampson’s shot which had been parried, but a topsy-turvy game continued swing and, ten minutes later, it was 2-2 when Ironside confidently dispatched a penalty – awarded after sub Richards had been fouled in the area.

 
The two teams traded half chances afterwards as they went in search of a winner – Sampson was twice guilty of spurning a good opportunity, but easily the best of the late chances fell to Harriers. Good work again from Richards saw him pull the ball back to teenager Jaiden White, who saw his low shot well saved by the feet of the goalkeeper.

HARRIERS: Palmer, Taylor (Heaton 58), Austin, Higginson (Richards 58), Horsfall, Penn, Butterfield, McAlinden, Williams, Chambers (White 85), Ironside.

Unused subs: Hall, Stratford.

Attendance: 956

Referee: Adam Williamson