Cambridge United were frustrated by a resolute Southport side as they played out a 0-0 draw at the R Costings Abbey Stadium.

United dominated possession for long periods against the Sandgrounders, but couldn't make the break through, despite hitting the bar twice through Conal Platt and Sam Ives.

Missing first choice central midfielders Paul Carden and Adam Miller, Martin Ling's young charges can feel pleased with their overall performance against a powerful visiting side content to play for a draw from the off. Having registered their first clean sheet of the season, they will now go in search of that ellusive win at Tamworth on Tuesday evening.

Man of the Match: Robbie Willmott - Tormented Southport with pacy running, and sent over several dangerous crosses.

17.35: Happier news from Brantham (it's in Lincolnshire apparently) where CRC won 1-0 with a goal from James Brighton.

FULL TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0 - 0 SOUTHPORT

16.53: There goes the final whistle. Frustrating for United, who worked hard, hit the bar twice, but couldn't make the break through against the massed ranks of the Southport backline. It's a first clean sheet and second point of the season for the U's, but Martin Ling will no doubt feel disappointed not to have secured all three.

16.51: Free kick to the U's on half way, everybody piles into the box to try and get on the end of Jennings' delivery, and in an almighty scramble their keeper falls on the ball. That must be it now.

16.48: That's 90 minutes on my watch, four minutes to be added. Saah stings the keepers hands with a 25-yarder, and Russell can't force in the rebound.

16.45: A chance for United perhaps, Platt winning a fortunate free kick on the corner of the box. Favours a left footer, and Jennings is over it with Willmott. But it's low from the former and Southport clear.

16.43: Sub for Southport, Flynn for Winn.

16.42: Platt and Russell work the ball across to Ives, who gets the ball out of his feet but strikes the bar with the keeper beaten. Curses.

16.40: Another corner for Southport, Brown gets a fist to it and also gets a free kick. Ref has been a bit picky with the free kicks, Gray just got penalised for tussling with Davis.

16.39: Clare inches away from connecting with Platt's curling cross-cum-shot, the striker holds his head in his hands, that was another chance.

16.37: Bit of pressure from the U's ends with Platt cutting in and curling a shot wide. This is starting to look like a frustrating afternoon for Ling's men.

16.35: YELLOW CARD. Ref finally loses patience with Southport, and books Lee for timewasting. Shame he didn't crack down a bit earlier in the game.

16.33: Final change for the U's, with Gray replacing Wright, who has worked hard to no avail this afternoon. All new front pairing for United.

16.31: Another free kick for the U's after Wright was brought down on the corner of the box. Keeper gets nowhere near Willmott's cross, but it flies straight out at the far post for a goal kick.

16.29: Shot on target from Moogan bounces kindly for Brown, who saves.

16.27: Wasteful from Ives, who shoots wide with options to his left and right.

16.26: Good chance for Davis from the corner, but he heads wide. A better contact and that was in, United don't look comfortable against inswinging corners.

16.25: Wright finds Clare in the box, who goes down more in hope than expectation. Nothing doing says the ref. Southport back up the other end and have a corner after Jennings puts the ball behind.

16.23: Southport corner causes chaos in the United six yard box, but a combination of Brown and Coulson clear unconvincingly.

16.21: Wright here finding Clare, who nudges onto Platt, but with the goal at his mercy he blasts over. Another opportunity goes begging. Substitution for Southport, with Gray being replaced by Blakeman. 4-5-1 for the visitors now.

16.19: Great play from Wright, plucking the ball out of the sky and putting Wilmott in the clear with a great pass. Robbie draws the keeper but drags his shot wide. Great chance that. Sub for the U's, with Daryl Clare making his debut in place of Marriott. No pressure Daryl.

16.16: YELLOW CARD. Willmott has been excellent today, and carries the ball 40 yards before being pulled back on the edge of the box by Moogan. Yellow card and free kick 20 yards out. Robbie takes but it smashes into the top of the wall and is cleared.

16.15: Lovely pass from Ives to Willmott, who swings over a cross which Wright heads across goal and wide. United seem to have found a bit of renewed impetus.

16.12: Russell surges to the byline but can't find Wright. It's a corner though, deep from Willmott towards Platt. Southport half clear, but Ives wins it back and finds Platt, whose curling shot beats the keeper but crashes off the bar. Closest we've come so far. 2506 96

16.11: Terrible pass from Jennings. With United on the break and three men in the box he overcooks his cross and it flies out for a Southport throw. A strange noise is eminating from the main stand, I think it could be a vuvuzela.

16.09: Ball across to Willmott, in a good position in the area. He takes on his man but can't make space for a shot and Southport clear. United's team is incredibly young, I think Wright and Russell are the oldest outfield players at 24.

16.05: Substitution for United, with Paul Carden going off, to be replaced by Sam Ives. Cardy was obviously going to see if he could run off an injury but didn't succeed. United without both first choice central midfielders now.

16.03: It's Southport on the offensive, but Russell tracks back and win's his side a throw in.

16.00: Update from CRC, who are drawing 0-0 with Brantham Athletic. No idea where Brantham is, but hopefully the scholars will get a goal or three in the second half. The teams are back out, ready to go again.

HALF TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0 - 0 SOUTHPORT

15.46: YELLOW CARD Another Southport corner, Williams gets his head it and it flicks off Roberts for another flag kick. However there's a foul as the ball comes in, and a booking to Davis for squaring up to Coulson, strange decision surely a talking to would have sufficed. Anyway, that's half time, United started well but ran out of steam a bit. Southport are solid, but limited, and if we can improve in the second half this match is there for the taking.

15.45: Corner for Southport, but there's a foul in the middle there, Brown being impeded, and it's a free kick. Two minutes to be added.

15.44: YELLOW CARD: Wright challenges Lee, catching the defender in the shoulder. It was mistimed from Wright, but Lee goes down clutching his face, earning a free kick, with the U's striker going in the book.

15.42: The home crowd are getting slightly peeved at the amount of time Southport are taking over set pieces. A chance for the visitors there though, Gray turning and blasting the ball over the bar from the edge of the box.

15.39: Another lightning break from the U's, but Roberts cross can't find Wright. The right back gets back on the ball and slips it into Marriott, who appeared to be offside but was allowed to play on but saw the ball nipped off his toes by McMillan.

15.37: Wicked from cross from Willmott, with bend and dip heading for Platt. It's headed away as far as Wright, who can't get his shot in and concedes a free kick in the process.

15.35: Russell battles through a couple of challenges and passes off to Jennings, whose low shot is easily gathered by McMillan.

15.31: Free kick taken right footed by Willmott, the goalkeeper wasn't getting there and it flew inches wide of the post.

15.30: All gone a bit flat in the last few minutes, but that's a free kick to the U's right on the edge of the box, Wright nudging the ball past a defender and going down. A bit soft perhaps, but good position for a shot, just left of centre.

15.27: Bit of head tennis in the U's box there. Williams goes down penalty hunting but is unsuccessful. Brown eventually catches a cross ahead of McGinn.

15.24: Platt is lightning on the break, this time linking up with Russell and Roberts, whose cross is just too high for Marriott.

15.23: A dangerous ball in from Southport almost finds McNeil at the far post, but Willmott nips in to clear. Port not in a hurry to get on with things here, one suspects they'd be happy with a point.

15.21: Marriott is quiet so far, but other than that United look lively in attack. However, the aerial route is unlikely to pay dividends as Davis and Williams in the Port defence are both massive.

15.18: Willmott on the run again, getting in a cross which is met by Wright, but his shot is blocked by Davis. Not sure it was troubling the keeper anyway.

15.17: Blimey, Simon Brown came for that free kick, appeared to be under no pressure, but the ball slipped through his hands for a soft corner. Luckily it's overcooked and headed behind by Winn.

15.16: Southport go forward down their right, but good covering from Paul Carden prevents McGinn from making mischief. The visitors look a bit more comfortable after United's early pressure, and have a free kick now for a foul on Gray.

15.14: Willmott into the box onto Wright's pass, and goes down under challenge from Lee. No penalty says the ref.

15.11: Good patient possession from Cambridge results in Carden feeding Jennings, whose cross spins off Lee for a corner. Corner is deep towards Roberts and Southport clear. Ball back in finds Wright, who lashes a shot into the South Stand from just inside the box. We'll call that a sighter.

15.09: Southport have a throw in the United corner, but the home side clear and break with Platt. It's three on three, but Platt feeds Marriott, whose cross is just too hard for the overlapping Kev Roberts and McMillan claims.

15.06: Willmott and Platt have temporarily switched flanks, with Platt over on the right. Free kick to the U's in the centre circle after a foul on Wright by Davis. Jennings delivery not the best though, and it's away.

15.03: Platt brought down by Winn, who is in serious need of a hair cut. Jennings free kick blocked, but he feeds Willmott, who delivers a low centre which flicks off Wright but can't quite find Josh Coulson arriving at the back post. Bright in the early stages from the U's.

15.02: More good work from Willmott, finding Danny Wright with a cross which the striker heads wide.

15.01: Good start from the U's, Russell feeding Platt, who bursts into the box, but sees his cross land in between Marriott and Wright. Danger half away but United come again and the ball is worked back to Willmott, who shoots over.

15.00: Southport get us underway, here we go.

14.58: The team's are out, United resplendant in amber, Southport in white shirts and lemon yellow shorts, nice.

14.55: The website toolkit appears to be playing up a bit, so no tellings when this will appear online. Bit of a blow Miller being sidelined, but a good chance for Marriott to stake his claim for a place in the line up. We might get a first glimpse of Daryl Clare later too.

Cambridge United: Simon Brown, Kevin Roberts, James Jennings, Brian Saah, Josh Coulson, Robbie Willmott, Simon Russell, Paul Carden, Conal Platt, Danny Wright, Adam Marriott. Subs: Daryl Clare, Wayne Gray, Sam Ives, Dave Partridge, Danny Naisbitt.

Southport: Tony McMillan, Kevin Lee, Chris Lever, Earl Davis, Michael Powell,Ashley Winn, Alan Moogan, Tony Gray, Matt McGinn, Robbie Williams, Matt McNeil. Subs: Adam Flynn, Steve Daly, Paul Barrett, Liam Blakeman, Steve Dickinson.

14.49: TEAM NEWS. There's a late change to the U's line up, with Adam Miller having been withdrawn, presumably after sustaining an injury in the warm-up. Adam Marriott is in, so you would imagine Simon Russell with slot into central midfield, with Robbie Willmott on the right and Marriott up front alongside Danny Wright.

14.45: Good afternoon everyone and welcome to today's home match with Southport. It's bright but breezy at the Abbey this afternoon, and United will be hoping for their first of the season against the newly promoted side.