Match Reports

Moors Open Pre-Season With Victory

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Solihull Moors kicked off their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Barwell.

The game, played at Barwell’s Kirkby Road, was attended by just over 100 fans who got to witness Paul Green, Darren Carter and Jack Edwards in Solihull Moors jerseys for the first time. Also in the starting XI were three trialists who we believe to be Jordan Liburd, Jermaine Hylton and Koby Arthur.

Barwell provided plenty of energy and gusto from the start but it was McDonald’s men that were often in possession of the ball, albeit with the discomfort of playing on a bobbly surface that caused several loose touches.

Joel Kettle and Paul Green confidently mopped up at the back while Carter showed his qualities, controlling proceedings in the centre but Moors lacked end product in the first half. The efforts of note fell to Koby Arthur, whose free-kick cleared the barn behind the goal, and Jack Edwards who headed back to the player who crossed the ball when presented with an opportunity from 10 or so yards out.

The second half was more enjoyable with Barwell beginning to tire and Moors’ bringing on plenty of youth and players eager to impress from the bench. After Carter twice went close – the first forcing a decent save from the Canaries number 1, the second a half volley that was struck wide – Solihull Moors finally took the lead.

Tyrese Shade is perhaps the most exciting talent to come from the Solihull Moors academy and he opened his account when he played the ball into Tristian Dunkley, a trialist wearing the number 12 jersey, only to receive it back via a wonderful backheel that took three defenders out of the game. Shade was composed and slotted confidently into the bottom corner.

Pace was proving the key factor for Moors and William Mellors-Blair, like Shade and Dunkley, had plenty of it. The winger, donning the number 9 shirt, was cleverly found by Carter and sprinted two-thirds of the pitch with the ball unchallenged before lashing home into the bottom corner to kill the game off.


The game petered out from that point but the workout was complete. A solid opening performance with a few positive performances.


Starting XI: Vaughan; K. Green, Kettle, P. Green (Willock), Liburd (T) (Endall); Arthur (T) (Mellors-Blair (T)), Carter, Maye (Coyle), Hylton (T) (Shade); Edwards (Carline); Afolayan (Dunkley (T))

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Co-Editor - Vital Solihull Moors

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