ANDY Whing felt his Solihull Moors side threw the game away after slipping to a 3-2 opening day defeat at AFC Fylde.
Moors came from behind to lead at the break courtesy of an own goal from Owen Evans and a Jack Stevens strike at Mill Farm.
However, Fylde’s Nick Haughton scored a sensational hat-trick including a late winner after Joss Labadie saw red for two bookings just before the hour mark.
Whing said: “We threw the game away, we absolutely threw it away, we gave away two silly free-kicks on the edge of our own box and conceded twice.
“Haughton has won the game on his own, we were miles off it in the second half, we didn’t turn up and we deserved to lose in the end, we’ve got to be miles better.
“We should have scored four or five, the sending off kills us, we had to change shape.
“It’s the first game of the season, they scored three fantastic goals, we looked soft in the second half but there’s still 45 games to go, it’s a long season.
“We’ll work hard and try and pick up points as early as possible starting against Maidenhead at home.”
Moors fell behind in the opening game of the new National League season after just 10 minutes as Haughton curled a stunning free-kick into the left corner of the goal from 25-yards out.
However, the visitors equalised on 29 minutes when Joe Newton’s floated cross to the back post went in off Evans.
And Solihull completed the turnaround on 39 minutes as Stevens coolly picked out the bottom right corner from Matty Warburton’s clever reverse pass.
However, Moors did not heed their first-half lesson as Haughton levelled the game with another fine free-kick as he fired a low effort under the wall from 20-yards out.
And just minutes later experienced midfielder Labadie was sent off after picking up a second yellow card to leave Moors down to 10-men for the remaining half an hour.
Whing’s men battled well despite the numerical disadvantage only for Haughton to drive into the penalty area and fire an unstoppable effort into the top-right corner with seven minutes left to play.
Solihull are next in action at home to Maidenhead United on Saturday, August 17 with kick-off at 3pm at Damson Park.
