Moors Earn Huge Three Points At Barrow

Solihull Moors came from behind to see off Barrow to earn a huge three points in their bid for survival.



Propping up the table prior to kick-off, our hopes of survival meant victory was a necessity against Barrow, the side one place above the relegation zone.



A familiar story was brewing when Asa Hall headed home from a set-piece but Darren Carter’s neat volley and Jamie Reckord’s penalty ensured there was still life in our National League story.



Yates made two changes for the game with Kwame Thomas returning following a recent head injury and George Carline making a first start since the 1-0 defeat at Wrexham. Oladapo Afolayan again found himself on the bench while Akwasi Asante was dropped from the squad due to the five loanees rule.



This was hardly a thriller but Barrow did threaten early on, Max O’Leary tested early on by Asa Hall’s weak effort before Jordan White headed Dan Jones’ cross over the bar.



A first half of few chances, the referee found himself questioned by both sides. Firstly, Joel Dixon’s swipe at Jamey Osborne wielded nothing more than a free-kick despite Darren Carter having an empty net to find from 30 yards before Grant Holt tumbled over having tangled with Kristian Green.



Darren Carter’s involvement was increasing, his 30-yard curler falling just wide of the far post before Dixon spilled a free-kick into the path of Osborne who was unable to lob the ball over the bodies and into an empty net. Dixon was again put under pressure from a Carter delivery but nobody in a Moors shirt was present to poke the ball home from close range.



After Liam Daly hit the roof of the net from the second half kick-off, Barrow took the lead in all too familiar fashion.



Our last two away games had seen us go down 1-0 to set-piece goals and the story was re-writing itself at Holker Street, Asa Hall leaping highest to head home Jack Barthram’s incredibly long throw.



This Solihull Moors are proving to be made of stronger stuff with each passing week, however, and we finally got what we deserved, led by the man with the armband.



Jimmy Dunne’s clearance got height but landed in his own area where Darren Carter was able to sneak in ahead of Moussa Diarra, control the ball on his chest and fire home with a right-footed volley. A fine finish coming just two minutes after we had fallen behind.



There was another penalty shout when Jamey Osborne was tripped in the area, moments before he unleashed a 20-yard strike that dipped but never curled back towards goal. At the other end, Adi Yussuf found Dan Jones on the left but his cross-cum-shot fell just wide of O’Leary’s far post.



As tiredness began to kick in, neither side could really muster chances of note. That was until the 83rd minute when Solihull Moors got the moment their performance deserved.



Jamey Osborne had typically been a threat all game and Moussa Diarra clearly couldn’t keep pace, fouling the on-loan midfielder. Jamie Reckord stepped up from the penalty spot and slowly moved towards the ball before sending Dixon the wrong way.



Adi Yussuf so nearly secured a point for the hosts, driving a low ball across the area that beat several bodies but somehow stayed out.



Such moments of luck could be pivotal in our fight against the drop, however luck would taking away from yet another hard-fought performance from a group of players who have given everything to the shirt since Mark Yates took charge.



Another victory on New Year’s Day will give us an enormous chance of survival.



Starting XI: O’Leary; K.Green, Daly, Kelleher, Reckord; Osborne, P.Green, Carter; Murombedzi (Bowen), Thomas, Carline. Unused: Martinez, Frempah, Afolayan, Storer