Boreham Wood suffered another blow in their battle to beat the National League drop after they were beaten 2-0 at home by Southport.

The visitors had this game in the bag before half-time, making it a routine victory that will almost certainly confirm the Cheshire side's place in the division next season.

Wood were decidedly under par, yet can take some consolation on a day where all their closest rivals in the relegation battle failed to win, but manager Luke Garrard knows time is running out.

The disappointed boss said: “I thought there would be a reaction after the Halifax game. Unfortunately we were poor all over the park today. At any level gifting the opposition two goals in the opening half is a recipe for disaster, at this level even more so.

“Fortunately for us the other results went our way and it means that our season will now hinge on one thing and one thing only. Our trip to Aldershot next Saturday. I still believe and we need to have conviction from here on in to save our season.”

Danny Haynes was missing with a hamstring strain, with Luke Howell, recovered from an illness, forming the only change to the side that lost at Halifax on Tuesday night in dramatic fashion.

The Sandgrounders started the brighter and it was a trait that would last the full 90 minutes. Wood were shaky in defence with some poor clearances and wayward back passes setting the tone.

Southport smelt blood and when Scott Doe conceded a needless free-kick on the left wing they pounced. Paul Rutherford whipped in the set piece that bounced inside the area, James Russell stayed on his line, the ball going unimpeded onto the far post before running across the line for caretaker manager Andy Bishop to bundle over the line with just ten minutes played.

Port were better in all departments and took control of the game. Two minutes later Danny Woodards hesitancy allowed the lively Louis Almond a run at goal, cutting in from the right before sending a shot just wide of the far post.

Wood were struggling in all departments, their balls forward never troubling the visiting defence, whilst more errancy from both Russell and Callum Reynolds served only to frustrate the cause.

Clovis Kamdjo produced Wood's first effort on goal after 33 minutes, a rising 30-drive that was inches high of the target.

But it was a decidedly tame performance from Garrard's men with so much at stake and their lack of intensity was exploited after four minutes later.

With the Wood defence playing a high line, Bishop exploited it with a fine lobbed ball for Craig Westcarr, who left the stranded line of defenders standing. He used the acres of space gifted to him to good effect, delivering a pin-point cross to the left where Rutherford in place to crash home a powerful header, giving Russell absolutely no chance.

Jamie Lucas made way for Junior Morias after 51 minutes and the change immediately gave Wood more of a cutting edge going forward.

Woodards supplied a cross from the left that was met by Ricky Shakes but his on-target header failed to trouble Max Crocombe. Morias then won a corner, from which a half clearance fell for Luke Howell but he shot high on the volley.

Morias again had a hand in supplying Ben Nunn for a cross that Kamdjo headed into the midriff of Crocombe, who was certainly having a livelier half. It was a good spell from Wood with Nunn reading Morias' dummy to hit a low curling effort that was his side’s best effort, going inches wide after 63 minutes.

Southport were happy to soak up some pressure and protect their lead, which they did to good effect.

Delano Sam-Yorke replaced Shakes and did well to control a cross-field ball from Scott Doe, his effort from inside the area looked goal bound, but the deflection off a Southport defender took the sting out of the shot allowing Crocombe to preserve the clean sheet.

Gary Jones had a chance to increase the lead late on, but was denied by Russell, leaving Wood just three games to rediscover the form they showed at home to Dover Athletic over Easter to have a chance of survival.

Boreham Wood: Russell, Nunn, Woodards, Doe, Reynolds, Kamdjo, Shakes (Sam-Yorke 67), C Clifford, Lucas (Morias 51), White, Howell. Subs not used: B Clifford, Stephens, Devera.