SOLIHULL Moors stunned league leaders Chesterfield on Boxing Day before suffering a second-half collapse against the same opponents on New Year’s Day.
Moors inflicted just a third league defeat on the Spireites at the ARMCO Arena as early goals from Mark Beck and Callum Maycock sealed an impressive 2-0 victory for Andy Whing’s men.
However, after taking a two-goal lead at SMH Group Stadium on New Year’s Day through strikes from Matty Warburton and Beck, Moors conceded three goals in the space of six second-half minutes in a 3-2 defeat.
The results mean Solihull sit fourth in the National League table, three points inside the play-off places.
On Boxing Day, Moors broke the deadlock on 10 minutes when Beck rolled the ball past Harry Tyrer after pouncing on Mike Jones’s short backpass.
And the home side doubled their lead just four minutes later as Maycock found the bottom right corner from eight-yards out from Beck’s clever pass.
Chesterfield created a number of chances to reduce the deficit as James Clarke twice cleared off the line while Nick Hayes made several important saves to ensure Moors went home with the points.
And Spireites defender Jamie Grimes saw red in injury time after a coming together with Moors substitute Jack Stevens.
Solihull then travelled to Chesterfield for their first match of 2024 and were once again indebted to Clarke who made a sensational block on the line in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
And Moors took a shock lead on 34 minutes when Warburton picked out the bottom left corner from Josh Kelly’s square pass after the latter beat the offside trap.
Whing’s men doubled their advantage on 53 minutes with the assistant referee deeming Beck’s header to have crossed the line after Tyrer superbly kept out Kyle Morrison’s initial headed effort.
However, Chesterfield responded on 63 minutes when Tom Naylor fired a loose ball into the left corner of the goal from 10-yards out.
And the Spireites equalised just three minutes later with Ryan Colclough left unmarked to head home into the bottom left corner at the near post.
The home side completed a remarkable turnaround on 69 minutes when former Northern Ireland international Will Grigg forced the ball home from close range.
