Defeat at home to Lincoln City was no major setback.
It was gutting in the least to concede following a momentary lapse in concentration at the back but otherwise the boys put in a very solid performance against the league leaders in midweek.
And while the talk has been about Lincoln coming into the game on the back of a massive high against Brighton & Hove Albion which may have taken the wind out of their sails as far as the league is concerned it should be remembered that Moors remain part-time, lack the same conditioning as their professional counterparts and had the same time between games as the Imps.
All in all, the last few weeks have been positive. Since Christmas the boys have recorded three league victories out of a possible six and sit eight points clear of the drop zone.
Woking offer an interesting challenge this Saturday with victory over fellow relegation candidates likely to put the Moors into double digits when it comes to the distance between us and the bottom four. Not only that, but it could effectively bridge the gap between us and Bromley who currently look out of sight as far as the relegation zone is concerned.
McDonald has spoken positively about crowd numbers this week in the wake of the superb travelling support from Lincoln City in midweek and has made another call to arms to get as many fans to travel south as possible.
Thankfully he has gone one short of mimicking one of Woking’s favourite daughters – Delia Smith. Where are you?!
Vital Quotes:
Solihull Moors manager Liam McDonald on the challenge of Woking:
“Now we are fully focussed on Woking. This is a well established club, perhaps not having their best season so far, but you only have to look at their recent wins at away to Torquay and Eastleigh to appreciate what a force they are. They might have suffered a home set back on Tuesday when they succumbed 0 – 3 to Tranmere but they will be looking to bounce straight back against us and get clear of the relegation zone.
“For us, we will have a recovery session tonight – you cannot ask part time players who have given everything on a Tuesday night to have a full blown training session 48 hours later. The lads were tired after Lincoln but we will spend some of the evening looking at a video of Woking’s last match, and I think the squad will then be ready for the game on Saturday.”
Woking Team News:
Dennon Lewis, on loan from Watford, will be available for selection once more following his one-match suspension though he could only find a place on the bench following Jake Caprice’s impressive performance at the weekend. Chris Arthur could come into the side.
Player to watch: Fabio Saraiva
Yes, even in the National League the Spaniards do it better. Since joining from 7th tier Merstham FC in the summer, Fabio Saraiva has shone brightly in a Woking team struggling for consistency in their bid to remain a fifth tier club. The midfielder, who has occasionally played at wing-back, has scored nine goals in the league from midfield and has been talked about as one of the next stars to shine from non-league. He’s still only 23.
Solihull Moors Team News:
Liam McDonald has confirmed that he has a full squad to choose from with the exception of Connor Franklin who is still struggling with the concussion gained during the Boxing Day victory over Chester.
Player to watch: Simeon Maye
It seemed like a pretty big show of faith from Liam McDonald in midweek when his decision to freshen things up against an impressive Lincoln outfit saw Simeon Maye keep his place and Jack Byrne dropped to the bench. The young midfielder has stepped up a fair few divisions since joining from Boldmere St.Michaels and has come into the team like he has been there for years. Cool in possession, an impressive leap and full of energy, he is another who shows what a good judge of talent McDonald and his backroom team are.
Match Facts & Stats
Woking – 19th
Played 30; Won 8, Drawn 6, Lost 16; For 41, Against 56, GD -15; Points 30
Home form: Played 6; Won 2, Drawn 2, Lost 2; For 7, Against 7, GD 0; Points 8
Most starts: Joseph Jones – 29 starts
Top scorer: Gozie Ugwu – 10 goals
Worst discipline: Joseph Jones – 6 yellow cards, 1 red card
SOLIHULL MOORS – 15th
Played: 30; Won 10, Drawn 7, Lost 13; For 40, Against 46, GD -6; Points 37
Away form: Played 6; Won 1, Drawn 3, Lost 2; For 8, Against 9, GD -1; Points 6
Most starts: Liam Daly – 29 starts
Top scorer: Akwasi Asante – 11 goals
Worst discipline: Shepherd Murombedzi – 7 yellow cards
Match Prediction:
Woking 1-2 SOLIHULL MOORS
Next Fixtures:
Solihull Moors Next Six Fixtures:
Woking (A) – National League – 04/02/2017
Sutton United (H) – National League – 11/02/2017
Bromley (A) – National League – 18/02/2017
Wrexham (H) – National League – 25/02/2017
Torquay United (H) – National League – 28/02/2017
Dover Athletic (A) – National League – 04/03/2017
