PLAY-OFF hopefuls Southport will arrive at York City boasting the Blue Square Bet Premier’s best away record outside runaway top two Fleetwood and Wrexham.

The Sandgrounders will be targeting a 12th victory on the road this season when they run out at Bootham Crescent and, as a result of their fine away form, have already broken one club record.

A run of eight straight wins on their travels saw Liam Watson’s men take their place in the Haig Avenue history books in November and Port will go into tomorrow’s match having emerged triumphant from their last three away matches against Telford (1-0), Ebbsfleet (2-1) and Hayes (2-0).

Perhaps tellingly, though, ahead of tomorrow’s fixture, part-time Southport’s five away league defeats have come at former Football League clubs Lincoln, Cambridge, Wrexham, Kidderminster and Luton.

The Merseyside club currently sit fifth in the Blue Square Bet Premier standings having lost just one of their last eight matches and are targeting a fourth consecutive clean sheet after keeping Stockport (5-0), Kettering (0-0) and Telford (1-0) at bay.

Saturday’s thrashing of Stockport represented the Sandgrounders’ biggest win of the season and, unusually for such a highly-placed team, overturned their previously negative goal difference.

A contributing factor to that statistic is the worst defensive record of any of the division’s top 11 teams with 57 goals shipped.

At the other end of the pitch, top scorer Tony Gray took his goal tally to 19 for the season by bagging a brace against Stockport with right-winger Shaun Whalley also hitting a hat-trick.

Captain Alan Moogan, meanwhile, remains sidelined with an ankle injury and midfield pair Josh O’Keefe and Ray Putterill continue to serve three-match bans for recent red cards.

Watson has bolstered his ranks this week with the addition of striker Ross Farran from Vauxhall Motors, along with defender Rob McIntosh and goalkeeper Sam Ashton, who have been signed on a dual-registration basis from EvoStik first division north side Skelmersdale United.

Southport are expected to make no changes from the team that started against Stockport.

Southport (probable): McMillan, Smith, Akrigg, Grand, Lever, Whalley, Parry, Ledsham, Owens, Gray, Ellison.

Match facts

Southport have made three previous Conference visits to Bootham Crescent, drawing twice and losing once.

In 2005/6, this fixture was drawn 2-2 and the following season finished goalless.

City won the corresponding game last term 2-0 with substitutes Leon Constantine (penalty) and David McDermott netting late goals.

The line-up on November 23, 2010 was: Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, C Smith, Meredith, J Smith (McDermott), Weir, Racchi, Till (Fyfield), Chambers, Rankine (Constantine).

In the Football League, the Sandgrounders made 32 trips (1929 to 1977) and won nine times with 11 draws.

The biggest of City’s 17 wins was 9-1 in 1956/7, the club’s record victory.

Players who have appeared for both clubs include goalkeeper Matt Middleton, Bobby Sibbald, Laurie Calloway, John Linaker, Andy Provan, Jimmy Prescott and Ian Blackstone.

It happened on March 24

1934: Maurice Dando hit a hat-trick in a 6-1 home win over Rochdale in Division Three North. The other marksmen were Ted Hathway (2) and Walter Lax.

1956: A 3-2 win over Barrow at Bootham Crescent with Arthur Bottom, Syd Storey and Clive Colbridge on the scoresheet in front of 8,459. This was new manager Sam Bartram’s first home game in charge and was the last goal scored by Storey for City. Ron Spence suffered a serious injury which was to keep him out of first team action for 18 months.

1962: Gerry Francis and Billy Rudd netted in a 2-0 win at Hartlepools United and City were sixth in Division Four.

1974: A 3-3 draw at Southend United and City were in the top three of the Third Division (League One). The marksmen were Chris Jones (2) and Jimmy Seal.

1984: In a Saturday morning match – to avoid a clash with York RL’s Challenge Cup semi-final game with Wigan – City beat Swindon Town 2-0 at Bootham Crescent to stay clear leaders of the Fourth Division. The attendance was 3,341 and on target were Keith Walwyn and Gary Ford.

Compiled by David Batters