With the season drawing to an end every point becomes more valuable than the last. Yet when you’re in the position Solihull Moors have been in it can be easy to take your foot off the gas a little bit, enjoy yourself and switch off when you need not do so for the knowledge that survival is all but secured.
Yeah right.
McDonald has chopped and changed in recent weeks, testing new players and seeing who can move forward in a Moors jersey. There is no question that they are responding with the kind of performances that saw the club thrive in the first place.
Saturday saw what could have been a difficult fixture away at a club undoubtedly struggling but giving it everything in their bid for survival. A financially poorer outfit than others in the division, their youthful outfit have defied the odds by keeping within touching distance of survival and recent victories over fellow strugglers Guiseley and Woking said a lot for their bid to remain a fifth tier club.
Still, the Moors boss stuck to his guns allowing Liam Daly a much deserved weekend off having not fully recovered from a recent knee injury, and dropping Nortei Nortey and Regan Charles-Cook to the bench with the trio replaced by Omari Sterling-James, Calum Flanagan and the long awaited return to the starting XI of Conor Franklin. Meanwhile, Andy Brown also featured on the bench for the first time in 2017.
The opening twenty minutes provided very little action in either box as both sides found their way into proceedings. The first real effort came on 17 minutes when forward Ryan Kendall headed over from Sam Topliss’ cross.
The next twenty allowed for two decent chances apiece, Moors fluffing their chances when Joel Kettle headed over the bar from Ashley Sammons’ corner before Oladapo Afolayan’s pass found winger Shepherd Murombedzi who could only shoot wide. The hosts responded with Robbie Tinkler firing over the bar and defender Mark Gray heading over from a free-kick.
Simeon Maye has so far shown himself to be a solid midfield player capable of getting across the field and keep things simple, allowing others to get forward and get the glory. Yet his goal against Braintree Town looks to have sparked a new, goal-hungry star in the making with the former Boldmere St.Michaels man breaking into the area to tap home from close range after Omari Sterling-James’ effort was tipped onto the post.
Unfortunately the scores were level going into half-time after Tinkler fired in from the edge of the box when Moors failed to clear a corner.
There were no changes in personnel at half-time but whatever was said in the dressing room ignited a far superior second half display, even after Sterling-James’ first chance to run in behind ended up with a yellow card for simulation.
The diminutive attacking midfielder was undeterred and it was his cross that landed the next chance, Kristian Green of all people finding himself in the area and forcing keeper Rory Watson into a save.
On 63 minutes Sterling-James was on the move again breaking the opposition defensive line to run through and despite being fouled he kept his composure to slot home to put the Moors back ahead.
It was a key moment in the game and allowed for the good feeling to continue. The 34 travelling supporters were treated to a flourish and on 76 minutes Sammons, who wore the captain’s armband due to the absence of Beswick and Daly, typically delivered near-perfection from a free-kick allowing George Carline joined Maye in making it two from two with another guided header into the net.
By the time stoppage time came, Regan Charles-Cook was on the field and proving to be a menace, the Charlton Athletic loanee crossing for Nortei Nortey to score his first goal for the club sealing a joint-best away victory of the campaign.
It was a show that was put on in what could have been much more difficult circumstances and lifted the Moors to within a point of the top half which has now become the aim – just how far can we go?
The end of season fixture list is a little daunting on paper but as everybody within the club is keen to remind fans – why should we be afraid? We can beat anybody in this league starting with Tuesday’s ‘local’ derby.
Starting XI: Baxter; Green, Kettle, Flanagan, Franklin; Murombedzi (Charles-Cook), Sammons, Maye (Nortey), Carline; Sterling-James (Udoh); Afolayan.
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