Southam's new management team kick off with Griff defeat

Chairman Charles Hill announced a new management team prior to kick-off following the resignation of caretaker-manager Terry Davidson at the weekend.

“Players James Keller and Alex Baird, together with coach Joe Featherstone, will be in charge for the rest of the season,” said Hill.

“I am very grateful for Terry’s contribution in difficult circumstances.”

In an entertaining match, there were chances at both ends before Griff got the all-important winner after a poor clearance allowed Kyle Baxter to set up Shorthouse to head home.

Saints almost salvaged a point near the end when Adam Miles was denied by a last-ditch block and Paul Govier was only just wide in added time.

On Saturday, a Joseph Obi hat-trick powered Bolehall Swifts to a 4-0 win to send Saints crashing to the foot of the table.

Saints started the match brightly and should have taken the lead after only five minutes when, having rounded the keeper and with no defenders in sight, Adam Miles inexplicably failed to roll the ball into the empty net.

Two minutes later, Miles’ cross-shot from the right went just wide of the far post and, shortly afterwards, Swifts keeper Tom McNulty hurt himself in saving a low inswinging free-kick.

Several other chances and half-chances came and went for Saints and they were nearly punished for their profligacy when Aaron Cheshire and Matt Archer both failed to deal with Adam Clarke’s cross from the left and Obi’s goalbound header was cleared off the line by Lee Waters before Kyle Bache blazed over when well placed.

Having had the better of the first half, Saints looked to press home their advantage, but the breakthrough came for the visitors in the 50th minute when a cross from the left by Clarke went over Archer and hit the bar, with Obi reacting quickest to head home from a yard out.

Scott Goodby could have added a second only to head over from a corner, but some slack defending in the 74th minute enabled debutant Jordan Francis to double Swifts’ lead, picking his spot between two defenders.

A spectacular overhead kick from Obi gave Swifts their third in the 78th minute and he got his hat-trick in added time when, with the defence spread-eagled and Archer well out of his goal, he was unerring with his shot into the far corner.

On Saturday, Saints play the reverse fixture at Bolehall before hosting Racing Club Warwick on Tuesday (7.45pm).