TIM Flowers’ Solihull Moors will host fellow National League side Wrexham in the Scottish Challenge Cup quarter-finals – should they beat Rangers Colts.
Moors are yet to play the rearranged last 16 clash, which is scheduled to be played on Tuesday, October 29, but will face a last-eight tie against Welsh opposition at the SportNation.bet Stadium in mid-November should they be successful.
A 4-1 victory over Boldmere St Michaels on Tuesday night did confirm progression in one cup competition though, as a youthful Solihull side beat the Midland Football League Premier Division visitors to advance in the Birmingham Senior Cup.
Ryan Nesbitt led the way with a first-half brace before James Ball and Luton Town loanee Josh Neufville finished off the tie after the break.
Looking to take the upper hand straight away, Moors went close through Mitch Hancox’s rifled effort from the edge of the penalty area, before Nesbitt slotted the opener from Neufville’s square pass on nine minutes.
Appeals for a Moors penalty were waved away when Nesbitt ghosted in behind the Boldmere defence to latch on to a long ball and was brought down but the protests fell on deaf ears.
The Mikes almost levelled when Owen Parry clattered the frame of goal, while Ball’s close-range strike was someone kept out by Lewis Fenney.
Nesbitt was rewarded for his perseverance when adding his second goal of the night, firing into the far corner of the net with aplomb before half-time.
Moors were spurred on further by Flowers and his players carried out his demands, coming within inches of a third when Neufville’s shot from distance stung the fingertips of Fenney.
A jinking run by Hawkridge should have resulted in Nesbitt’s hat-trick, but the striker was only able to divert his finish over the bar.
Ball then struck by nestling the ball in the back of the net after playing a one-two with Nesbitt, who unselfishly put the ball on a plate for the midfielder to smash home his first goal for the club.
Boldmere substitute Declan Arber was unable to test Moors shot-stopper Shaun Rowley with a strike that glanced wide of the mark.
Neufville then registered for the first time in a Solihull shirt when drifting through a number of players before calmly finding the net to add further gloss to the victory.
The only blemish on the result came with five minutes remaining, when former Moors loanee and Birmingham City player Jack Storer fizzed the ball past Rowley and into the net.
Hancox still had time to strike the woodwork with a header from a Hawkridge free kick, but no further score was added on a pleasing night for the hosts.
The win builds further momentum for Moors, having beaten National League high-flyers Bromley 2-1 on Saturday, with Gavin Gunning and Danny Wright goals putting Solihull back among the play-off places in sixth.
Solihull turn their attentions to the fourth qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday (3pm) when visiting league rivals Barrow.
