SOLIHULL MOORS 4-0 SOUTHPORT: ALTERNATIVE MATCH REPORT...

Solihull Moorlanders On More Solid Footing Than Southport Sandgrounders…

Solihull Moors 4-0 Southport

Moors would point to the all round contribution made by Jamey Osborne in midfield, the pace and impending threat of Akwasi Asante in attack, the long throws of left-back Connor Franklin and the steady central defensive pairing of Liam Daly and Jordan Gough, all suggesting that the hosts deserved to win this game at a canter. It was a struggle for Southport, who certainly contributed to their own downfall, succumbing to a long Franklin throw in ‘soft goal’ circumstances, misplacing two passes which resulted in goals two and three, then allowing Asante to rush past defenders Mark O’Brien and Callum Howe to complete not only the scoring but also his hat-trick. It was like he was being ushered onto stage to receive an ovation during the finale of a theatrical production. 

The Sandgrounders offered little in the way of offense throughout the match in truth, despite the graft and grit of veteran skipper Gary Jones in midfield, who clipped one free-kick too high during the second period. Home ‘keeper Nathan Vaughan fell forwards to grab a first-half shot by left-flanker James Caton but critically, when the score was 1-0 to Moors, right-sided attacker Jamie Allen might just have changed matters when he broke right but didn’t appear to look up or be aware that Caton was in a great position on the left-side and needed only a diagonal pass to send him one-on-one with Vaughan. Allen ploughed on, head down towards the right and the attack was snuffed out too easily be the resolute Moors’ defence. 

And yet… The linesman on the grandstand side of the pitch had flagged Southport players offside three times during a mediocre first-half but twice he had erred badly. John Cofie was well ONside when he moved forth to fire high into the Solihull net and then Allen was also wrongly flagged offside a little later. The official, in the full glare of the TV camera looked slightly embarrassed, although suffice to say, he was mistaken… Twice. Not helpful to a struggling ‘Port team and their new boss, Steve Burr.

MAGNUS NORMAN: A FINE GAME, MOSTLY...

Osborne however was the catalyst, the mechanic, the artisan for Moors, lurking in the trenches, well supported by skipper Ryan Beswick and the stolid Jack Byrne, whereas the guests’ midfielders, the Joneses (Gary and Andrai) and the busy but chasing Jordan Lussey, rarely got to grips with their counterparts. The ‘Port industrial midfield found that creativity and construction took back seats, as individuals were forced to harry, harass and harm Solihull's dominance instead for much of the time. Visiting goalie Magnus Norman had already arched (Norman arched?) and flipped an early looping header by Asante over his crossbeam, before the stalemate was ripped asunder during the final part of the first period. And it was a second Franklin throw in a matter of moments which caused the initial problem. 

STEVE BURR: NOT A HAPPY CHAP...

The defender had to be waited for as he crossed from the right to the left touchline and his subsequent hurl was huge, the resulting flick-on was dangerous and Osborne, unmarked beyond the far upright lashed a fine volley at the target, which Norman reacted superbly to and saved. The bit was between Solihull teeth and Osborne’s influence, a dummy and then a back-heel by Beswick allowed Asante a shooting opportunity from inside-right but again Norman saved, this time low to his right, yet he was still alert enough to regain some footing and save with his lower limbs from Omari Sterling’s rebound effort. The fourth Norman save in a short space of time was again successfully achieved using his legs and feet, for when Sterling slipped Asante into the left side of the penalty-box, the ‘keeper’s advance denied the striker who had netted a hat-trick at Maidstone only a few days before, yet another goal. 

Half-time had been reached still with parity by Southport but Norman had damaged a finger whilst gathering the ball in the waning moments of the opening 45 minutes and although he would carry on, one wonders how handicapped he was. Solihull had proved to be dangerous and in all fairness, most spectators were probably wondering how long it would be before the hosts finally found the net, against their workmanlike but surviving opponents.

MATCH PROGRAMME...

Strangely though, the Sandgrounders looked lively at the start of the second-half and a couple of shots from distance were blocked by Moorish, boorish defenders, only for the hosts to deliver a real sucker-punch to their guests. The goal was cheaply conceded from a long Franklin throw, not something ‘Port hadn’t faced before and when the chuck from the left was jumped for like American footballers leaping for a ‘Hail Mary’ pass in the end zone, Daly’s skull flicked the ball on and it landed on Asante’s boot, who was being marked by the previously combative Southport left-back Neil Ashton but the defender appeared tangled, like an aghast string puppet and the ball rolled into the left corner of the net past Norman.

It seemed like Southport had tossed a pancake, missed the descent and it had landed on the dog. The second goal was poorly defended by Southport, in all honesty but it stemmed from a release by right-back Ryan Higgins. He had previously executed a similar ‘pass’, after a slip by Norman (which the Solihull fans thought was hilarious) and not a good left-foot fly-kick, whereby the ball had arrowed towards Higgins, who, facing the middle, shovelled it on with the outside of his right boot, conceding possession. He later repeated this from a defender’s pass to him and Moors won possession again, through the bandit Beswick, who fed Osborne centrally and although the playmaker stumbled, he managed to pass right to Sterling, now loitering on the right-side and he simply drove a low 24 yarder into the bottom left corner of the net, past Norman’s fall, although maybe the custodian would rue his attempt at the save, notwithstanding his finger injury.

Ashton, who had coped well enough with Shepherd Murombedzi before the interval but was now covering Sterling, then made a fatal error too. He conceded possession with a poor pass and Beswick slipped a pass left for Asante to run into the penalty-box and shove a low shot past Norman’s left glove, leaving no room for complaint this time, as the effort rolled into the right corner of the net. Gary Jones also squandered possession to Osborne moments later but the midfielder’s audacious 45 yard effort was clutched by Norman and we all awaited goal four, which finally arrived courtesy of Byrne’s measured pass through the inside-right channel for Asante to take on smartly and beat Norman inside the left post, past that smarting right hand. No chance for the goaltender this time though.

The game would end minutes after the rapid Allen had chased the ball towards the right corner-flag but he was outrun, outsmarted and outplayed by home central defender Gough, who then had the audacity to dummy past another opponent before releasing the ball. This maybe highlighted the gulf between the teams on the night…

The bare statistics would make glum reading for Southport: nine shots on target against them, five had saved very well by Norman and the other four had beaten him. Southport had forced Vaughan to drop and pick up one shot…

To be fair, despite the midfield mauling Southport suffered too often, Higgins was often exposed on the right side of defence, being offered scant cover by colleagues, especially as he tended to drift across towards Howe at times, leaving the Sandgrounders susceptible to Sterling’s pace and being in space. The unpredictable Cofie and the speedy Caton were actually replaced by their manager, maybe to save them for Saturday’s relegation battle at Guiseley, for they at least exuded a little threat on rare occasions.

Solihull’s forwards looked potent, simmering, flickering ready to burn, whereas their guests’ offensive players basically flattered to deceive…     

TEAMS:

SOLIHULL MOORS:

NATHAN VAUGHAN, JORDAN FAGBOLA, LIAM DALY, JORDAN GOUGH, CONNOR FRANKLIN, JACK BYRNE, SHEPHERD MUROMBEDZI, JAMEY OSBORNE, RYAN BESWICK (CAPT), OMARI STERLING, AKWASI ASANTE.

SUBS:

DARRYL KNIGHTS, HARRY WHITE, DANNY LEWIS (GK), STEFAN MOORE, LEWIS HAYDEN.

SOUTHPORT:

MAGNUS NORMAN, RYAN HIGGINS, CALLUM HOWE, MARK O’BRIEN, NEIL ASHTON, ANDRAI JONES, GARY JONES (CAPT), JORDAN LUSSEY, JOHN COFIE, JAMIE ALLEN, JAMES CATON.

SUBS:

LIAM HYNES, ROSS WHITE, JAMES GRAY, BOBBY MOSELEY, DECLAN WEEKS.