MOORS continued their dream start to the 2015/16 campaign after coming away from Boston United with a convincing 4-1 victory, reports John Clothier.
Marcus Bignot chose exactly the same team that dispatched AFC Fylde on Saturday for Moors’ long trip to Lincolnshire in what was their first mid-week game of the new season against a much fancied Boston United side who narrowly missed promotion in the previous campaign.
The Pilgrims bossed the opening few minutes but it was not long before Darryl Knights, playing his 100th game for Solihull, crossed menacingly for Stefan Moore and then drilled his own shot over the bar.
Moore then lobbed wide from an Andy Brown knock down before the hosts began to look dangerous down both flanks whilst centre forward Southwell shot wide across the face of goal.
Boston’s debutant goalkeeper Jason Alexander, on loan from Chesterfield, saved well from Brown on the quarter-hour mark but could only watch as Liam Daly headed wide from Knights corner moments later.
With Moors in the ascendancy both Ryan Beswick and Brown were foiled by Alexander but the keeper could do nothing on 28 minutes when Michael Nottingham passed back to Knights who smashed in Solihull’s opening goal from 12 yards.
It could have been two when Brown’s header from a Knights corner was palmed away by the keeper and as Moors attacked with the clock approaching the interval, Adam Walker was hacked down on the right wing and would not reappear for the second half.
Jack Byrne was on from the restart which saw a rejuvenated Pilgrims initially but on 51 minutes Knights robbed Piergianni just outside the 18 yard box and coolly slotted Moors’ and his second goal beyond the hapless Alexander into the right-hand corner of the net.
Brown was unlucky when his looping header was just wide but hearts were in mouths when Beswick was disposed on the byline and the cross into Moors’ box looked impossible to miss, nevertheless it was inches wide of the upright.
It did however give the hosts some self believe as they continued to push forward in an end to end tussle.
Danny Lewis needed the help of the physio when Southwell crashed him into the post but thankfully his left arm, which took the brunt of the impact, responded well to treatment. However in the 82nd minute Theo Streete was adjudged to have fouled the striker in the penalty area and from the spot Southwell’s straight shot was too much for the Moors keeper as Boston clawed one back.
Far from protecting their lead at this late stage of the game, Solihull went for broke.
Byrne disposed his man on 85 minutes before leaving Alexander stranded for Moors’ third goal and then in the third minute of added time Adwasi Asante took a though ball from Knights and hammered the ball low into the right hand corner for number four.
It was sweet revenge for the last game of the previous season when Boston inflicted the same score at The Automated Technology Group Stadium and what a way for two goal Knights to celebrate his century of games for the club.
Moors now ready themselves for another long trip this coming Saturday to North Ferriby United.
