Southport moved level on points with neighbours and Blue Square North leaders Fleetwood Town on Tuesday night after beating play-off chasing Wotkington at Haig Avenue.
Fleetwood suffered from Farsley Celtic`s demise somewhat and the race for the title is now even more intense and Port made the leaders, who are considering an appeal over the decision to expunge Farsley`s results, even more annoyed by beating the Reds.
Chris Simm fired the Sandgrounders ahead in the 27th minute and Steve Daly doubled their advantage when he netted number two right on the half time whistle.
Two play-off contenders, inconsistent AFC Telford United and Eastwood Town, met at the New Bucks Head and shared a 1-1 draw in which both goals came in stoppage time.
The game looked to be heading for a goalless draw but the deadlock was finally broken when Lindon Meikle put the Badgers ahead as the clocked ticked into the 90th minute.
However, Danny Carey-Bertram popped up in injury-time to net a vital equaliser for the Bucks.
There was another Tameside derby on Tuesday night, but it certainly didn`t go to form as Hyde United earned themselves some breathing space at the bottom end of the table with a 4-2 win against play-off chasing Stalybridge Celtic at Bower Fold.
Celtic got off to a great start as Jody Banim found the back of the net after just 6 minutes but the Tigers clawed their way back in contention when Matty Burke equalised in the 11th minute.
The hosts reclaimed the lead 2 minutes before the break, thanks to a Steve Woods header. But the second period belonged to the visitors as they scored three goals to claim an unlikely victory.
Burke equalised in the 56th minute with his second of the evening before Nathan Arnold gave the Tigers the lead in the 65th minute. And with Celtic pushing forward for an equaliser, Arnold capitalised on a loose pass before blasting a powerful shot home in the dying moments of the match.
There were also two goalless encounters on Tuesday night – both involving sides on the fringes of the play-off race and in the relagation battle.
It finished 0-0 between Ilkeston Town and improving Gainsborough Trinity, who are now six points off the drop zone, and similarly at the Victoria Stadium between Northwich Victoria and second-bottom Vauxhall Motors, who are now six points in front of bottom-markers Harrogate Town, who possess a massive six games in hand!
