A BRACE in either half by Ryan Beswick and Akwasi Asante helped Solihull Moors claim their third consecutive league win away at Gainsborough to maintain a four-point gap at the top of the National League North.
Marcus Bignot’s side put on an impressive display in front of goal and recorded their biggest away win of the season thanks to a 6-1 victory on Saturday.
Moors looked lively from the first whistle with almost immediately Michael Nottingham charging down the right flank causing a good early save from Budtz in the Trinity goal.
A neat one-touch passing move ended with Beswick firing over from 25 yards while Andy Brown was a whisker away from connecting with a Beswick cross on seven minutes.
Brown headed Beswick’s cross over the bar on 13 minutes before the hosts had their first chance of the match mid-way through the first half with Lewis saving safely from Brogan.
Nottingham was causing havoc with his wide runs and from one such move on 25 minutes Moors opened their account. Nottingham fired into the box and Picton put the ball into his own net.
Budtz denied Nottingham as he got on the end of Knights’ corner but the home goalkeeper brought Brown down inside the area soon after and the Moors striker sent Budtz the wrong way to double Moors’ lead.
Connor Franklin was equally effective on the left flank and his chip in the last minute of the half into the six yard area saw Brown out-jump the defence to head the ball into the corner of the net to give the visitors a 3-0 lead at the break.
Gainsborough made a better start as the match resumed with Jarman just clearing the bar from beyond the box and Stamp shot wide of the near side post.
At the other end Moors skipper Theo Streete was close from Knights’ corner before Trinity clawed one goal back when the Moors defence was caught out and Davis volleyed home from close range.
But normal service was resumed minutes later when Moors scored a fourth through Liam Daly who headed home from a Knights corner.
Asante was introduced for the tiring Brown as Trinity tested Danny Lewis with Jarman firing goalwards from an acute angle but the Moors shot stopper saved with his feet and then a bicycle kick caused a fine low save.
With ten minutes remaining Asante got on the end of a long ball from within Moors half and as Budtz ran out he coolly slotted in the fifth goal from the edge of the box.
Not satisfied with that, in the last minute of normal time a clearance fell to the super sub and from the same distance he rifled in number six beyond the hapless keeper.
Another win sees Moors keep their four-point gap ahead of Harrogate and they now sit eight points ahead of third-placed North Ferriby.
Next up for Moors is a home clash against Tamworth before a trip to Curzon next Monday.
Match photos by Steve Feeney
