STUART Watkiss wanted Harriers to turn the clock back and bury Southport under a pile of goals.

But what did the frustrated Aggborough boss get? Yet another toothless display up front which allowed the grateful Sandgrounders to slip off the hook.

It was certainly a far cry from the last time Southport visited Aggborough in a Conference encounter.

That was back in November, 1999, when Harriers won 5-0 - but sadly there was no possibility of a similar scoreline this time.

Watkiss' men wasted a bagful of chances, including a penalty, and in the end were heavily indebted to Wayne Hatswell for snatching an 84th minute equaliser.

It cancelled out Southport's deadlock breaker on the stroke of half time when Steve Daly looked well offside before slotting the ball past goalkeeper John Danby.

"Everyone could see their lad was five or six yards offside. Their manager said it was offside. It was a ridiculous decision," moaned Watkiss.

Harriers, however, had a great opportunity to draw level in the 59th minute when they were awarded penalty after Iyseden Christie was brought down by Earl Davis.

But keeper Steve Dickinson pulled off a super save to keep out Gareth Sheldon's fiercely struck spot kick.

It was one of several chances Harriers had to get back to winning ways following a 1-1 draw at Scarborough the previous Saturday when they also failed to make the most of their many opportunities.

After their deadlock beside the seaside, Watkiss wanted his players to find the killer instinct against Southport - but it was the same old story during the after-match press conference.

He said: "It's another game in terms of possession and in terms of chances we have done better than the opposition. It's not the first time this season that the word I've used in the dressing room has been 'ruthlessness'.

"We should have got something at Exeter, we should have beaten Scarborough and we should have beaten Southport. But we didn't and it's frustrating."

Before Southport went ahead with their controversial goal, Harriers had penalty appeals turned down when Christie went to ground under a challenge by Davis.

That was followed shortly afterwards by a deflected free kick by Sheldon which was expertly saved by Dickinson.

Harriers' goalkeeper Danby also made a couple of important saves before Christie side-footed wide from close range after Dickinson had pushed away a shot from Simon Russell.

Danby, however, had no chance to stop Southport stealing the lead in the opening minute of first half stoppage time when Baker fed Daly, who took no notice of Harriers' offside appeals to slot his shot home.

Watkiss must have thought it was not going to be his side's day when Sheldon's penalty was fisted over the bar by Dickinson.

The Aggborough faithful, however, were in for more frustration when substitute Taiwo Atieno blazed over following a ball from Simon Heslop.

Eighteen year-old midfielder Heslop, signed the previous day on a month's loan from Barnsley, had replaced the ineffective Laurie Wilson in the 61st minute.

The welcome breakthrough finally arrived for Harriers after Davis had

kicked a Christie effort off the line. The ball went for a corner which was taken by Russell and firmly headed past Dickinson by delighted Hatswell from six yards.

Then, in stoppage time, Hatswell had a header stopped on the line by Jerome Fitzgerald to end a match which left Harriers kick themselves for allowing Southport to secure their first away point of the season.