THIS draw on Tuesday night lifted Altrincham out of the relegation places for the first time in seven months.

But it had looked as if it would be the Robins' fourth successive win before midfielder Anthony Danylyk got himself sent off in the 53rd minute.

Despite a bright start from the visitors, Southport fell behind to a 20th minute penalty, converted confidently by Damian Reeves.

Referee Joyce had a choice of two fouls from which to award the spot kick as Joseph and Johnson were upended by Davis and Marsh-Evans respectively.

Soon after this Marc Joseph's header was cleared, with Alty claiming it had already crossed the line.

Both sides had to make injury-induced substitutions just before half time but it was Danylyk's dismissal which had more of a bearing on the outcome.

Booked unnecessarily in the first half for speaking out of turn, the Alty midfielder steamed into a challenge which earned him a second yellow.

Just five minutes later Southport equalised when the Alty defence froze, allowing Daly an easy goal from close range.

Nicky Clee went close twice; firing narrowly wide with a superb volley and then hammering a 30-yard effort against the post. The Alty dangerman was then fouled by Lever and the Southport man was sent off to make it 10 men versus 10 for the final 17 minutes.

Clee was denied by a fine save and Joseph had a goal disallowed but the Robins could not get the winner as Southport wound down the clock, goalkeeper McMillan amazingly not being booked for persistent dawdling.

ALTRINCHAM Coburn; Smith (Bateson), Joseph, Young, Piergianni, Lawton (capt), Danylyk, Connors, Reeves (Baynes), Johnson, Clee. Unused subs: Dootson, Brown, Twiss