FOOTBALL: SOLIHULL Moors crashed out of the FA Trophy on Saturday, losing 2-0 to National League North outfit Spennymoor Town.
Mark Yates’ men struggled to display the quality shown in recent league matches – which has lifted Moors off the foot of the National League table – as Spennymoor’s impressive season continued.
Spennymoor challenged from kick-off as Max O’Leary was forced to punch clear a corner in the opening minute.
Solihull had their first chance on target minutes later when Jamie Record’s long throw landed at the feet of Darren Carter, whose trademark strike forced Town’s keeper Porter to make a fine save.
Porter was called into action again when Oladapo Afolayan got on the end of Kristian Green’s cross, but the keeper again pushed the shot away for a corner.
Moors were left to rue a missed opportunity at the end of the first half when a goalmouth scramble resulted in Porter making a pair of crucial saves.
Kwame Thomas then had a goal ruled out for offside when Jermaine Hylton headed across goal to find the Coventry City loanee in space.
The call proved to be a turning point at Spennymoor immediately went on the attack.
O’Leary spilled the resulting cross, allowing Anderson to convert an easy tap in and gift Town the lead.
Moors retaliated with Thomas down the left, his cross was only cleared as far as debutant Kyle Storer – whose shot cleared the bar.
Moors started the second half brighter than their opponents.
Afolayan cut back from the right to find Hylton in space, but his shot was saved and went out for a corner, from which the resulting effort went begging.
Spennymoor soaked up the early second half pressure and soon started to create chances of their own.
An initial effort was easily dealt with by O’Leary before Foley’s pass across the goal mouth found nobody for what would’ve been a simple tap in.
Moors could’ve gone ahead on 70 minutes when Osborne spun a corner towards the far post, but Jame Curtis denied Daly who looked certain to equalise.
Further efforts came and went for Moors before an inspired substitution by Moors saw Andrew Johnson seize on a poor clearance from O’Leary, allowing the forward to double Town’s lead.
Even with four minutes of added on time, there was no way back for Moors who now have surviving the National League as their main task for the rest of the season.
Moors host Woking on Saturday at the ATG Stadium.
Photo: Tom King.
