FOOTBALL: A LATE goal deep in injury-time denied Solihull Moors what would have been a much deserved point on a freezing cold Tuesday evening at Forest Green Rovers.
It looked as though Liam McDonald’s side were going to be heading back to Solihull with a point after Oladapo Afolayan had cancelled out Fabien Robert’s first half opener.
But in the fifth minutes of added on time, Christian Doidge popped up to earn Forest Green Rovers all three points and break the hearts of those travelling Moors fans on the club’s first visit to the New Lawn.
Nathan Baxter produced a brilliant save in the fifth minute to keep out Robert’s effort and Baxter was called in action again soon after by denying Ellis who got on the end of a corner.
Moors slowly got into the game with Afolayan proving and Regan Charles-Cook both proving a threat, while Murombedzi was replaced by Jack Byrne after failing to shrug off an injury.
The hosts went in front five minutes before the break when the ball was threaded through to Robert who turned his defender and thumped the ball past Baxter.
From the start of the second period Moors showed more tenacity to get to the ball first but it was unfortunate with only two minutes gone to see the injured Ash Sammons unable to continue and he was replaced by Nortie Nortey.
Whatever Liam McDonald had told his troops during the interval, it was certainly changing the face of the match. Charles-Cook skied his shot after a penetrating run down the right wing whilst Afolayan’s wizardry was causing real problems for the hosts defence.
With Moors enjoying their best spell of the match, Afolayan collected the ball on the left flank, beat three defenders on his was into the six yard box and unleashed an unstoppable goal beyond Russell to make it 1-1.
With less than half an hour left Carling fired inches over the bar but as Forest Green retaliated, while for Moors Byrne put Afolayan through but the shot was just wide.
On 74 minutes Woolery found himself first to a Robert’s cross some 8 yards out but with Baxter beaten the ball smashed against the underside of the bar and Moors keeper was able to rescue the situation.
Nortey thumped the ball straight at Russell with such ferocity that the keeper could only parry the ball into the path of Afolayan but the bounce was too high for the Moors man to control his finish with the goal at his mercy.
It was end to end in the final ten minutes but the cruel blow came in injury-time when with second remaining Doidge applied the finish to a cross from Ellis to make it 2-1.
Despite the result, Moors can take the positives forward from their performance into Saturday’s home game against play-off candidates Barrow AFC.
