December 23, 2023
Oxford City’s pre-Christmas fixture saw a visit of 5th placed Solihull Moors to Court Place Farm. After their heavy home loss in the fog to Maidenhead, Oxford City lost their subsequent fixture, 1-2 at struggling Boreham Wood, to leave them third from bottom and with the worst defensive record in the division with 48 goals conceded from 24 matches.
Solihull Moors Background
Solihull Moors were promoted at the end of the 2015/16 season from Conference North and have remained in the National League ever since. They finished 2nd in 2018/19 and 3rd in 2021/22, when they lost play-off final to Grimsby, 1-2 after extra time.
The club was formed in 2007 from the merger of Moor Green and Solihull Borough, and home is the 5,500 capacity Damson Park. Their nickname is The Moors.
They made a strong start to the season, going unbeaten in their opening 14 matches. However, since then they had lost 6 of their 9 matches, including 4 consecutive defeats in their last four matches, going down 2-3 at home to Oldham Athletic, 1-6 at Altrincham, 1-2 at home to Gateshead and 1-2 at home to Maidenhead.
Ex-Maidenhead United forward Josh Kelly was their top scorer with 11 goals, whilst giant ex-Carlisle, Falkirk and Harrogate Town striker Mark Beck had 5 goals to his name.
Keeper Nick Hayes recently joined on a short-term loan from Ipswich, and had loan spell at Southend earlier in the season, whilst 36 year-old defender Richard Stearman made over 500 appearances in the Football League in a career with Leicester, Wolves, Fulham, Sheffield United amongst others.
Manager Andy Whing was at Brighton & Hove Albion, Coventry City and Oxford United as a player, and previously manager at Banbury United.
Previous Meetings
Unusually, Oxford City had lost all 4 previous home meetings between the two sides, but were unbeaten in their 4 away games.
During Oxford City’s spell in Conference North, Solihull Moors were in the same division between 2012/13 to 2014/15, when Moors clocked up 1-2, 0-2 and 1-4 victories on their visits to Marsh Lane. On the other hand, The Hoops won at Damson Park in 2012/13 and 2014/15 ( 2-1 and 3-2 respectively ) with a 2-2 draw in 2013/14.
The two sides were drawn against each other in the FA Cup First Round Proper in November 2019, when National League Solihull cruised to a 5-1 win over an overawed National League South Oxford City side, with 4 goals for James Ball, now at AFC Wimbledon. This was the only time I had previously seen Solihull Moors.
In the first meeting this season in Conference at the beginning of September, Oxford City caused a bit of a surprise by holding top of the league Solihull to a 3-3 draw, twice coming from behind to earn a point.
Matchday Information
Solihull’s journey to Oxford was just under 70 miles, which should normally take around one hour 20 minutes down the M42 and M40.
Bet365 made Solihull Moors evens favourites, with Oxford City at 21/10 and the draw at 13/5.
Oxford City had made today a double-header, with their women’s side kicking off against Thame United women at noon, although this game had finished by the time I arrived. A Santa’s Grotto was also in place, and there was no segregation in place for today’s game.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off time was dry but windy and officially 10 degrees, but it felt colder than that !
Solihull announced two changes to the side that started at home to Oldham with centre-back Kyle Morrison replacing Stearman and midfielder Matty Warburton replaced Jack Stevens, both of whom dropped to the substitutes bench.
Oxford City also made two changes from the side that lost at Boreham Wood with striker Olly Sanderson and wing-back Tafari Moore replacing Renny Smith and Aaron Williams-Bushell.
Moors were in a kit of all yellow with blue trimming, whilst Oxford City were in their usual blue and white hoops.
Match Report
Solihull began the game on the front foot, launching two free-kicks and a long-throw into the Oxford City area, all of which were safely dealt with. A foul by Burley on Kelly in the 6th minute saw the St Kitts and Nevis defender shown the first yellow of the card, but again the free-kick from Osborne was cleared, and the counter-attack from the home side came to nothing.
Oxford City had a half-chance in the 12th minute when a careless pass from Morrison went straight to Sanderson, but with a 2 vs 1, the pass from the Fulham loanee towards Parker was poor and was intercepted.
A minute later Moors’ Warburton took aim from just outside the area and the ball struck Carroll in the face. With the Oxford City player falling to the floor with a head injury the referee halted play, and then restarted the game with a drop ball to the home side, despite Solihull having been in possession when the play was stopped !
Despite bossing possession, Moors first attempt on goal only came in the 16th minute but the cross from the right wing by Clarke was badly headed 10 feet high and wide by Beck.
Oxford City then enjoyed a short period with the ball but Solihull were soon again on the attack, with Osborne sending a 25 yard effort harmlessly over the bar, followed by a much closer effort from Benton going inches over the bar.
The Moors continued to play direct football, but another long-throw into the mixer was flicked on at the near post before being cleared by the Oxford City defence.
Osborne, who was Moors set-piece taker, delivered another free-kick from close to the half-way line into the home area, but Beck’s header was weak and trickled harmlessly wide.
Another long ball from the back from Solihull wasn’t dealt with by Coyle, and the loose ball was picked up by Kelly, who sent a decent effort from the angle of the penalty area across goal and inches wide.
In the 34th minute, the home side fashioned their first shot on goal when a flowing move involving Fleet, Coyle and McEachran saw Fleet run onto a threaded pass, but Moors keeper Hayes came off his line to narrow the angle and made a block with his body to save at the expense of a corner. The keeper was less convincing in handling the corner, with an unconvincing punch going off for a throw-in.
After 40 minutes another hopeful ball into the Oxford City penalty area was punched away by keeper Bycroft, but again with a player injured in the process, another drop-ball was given in favour of The Hoops.
Solihull continued to test the home side’s ability to deal with long balls, and after another was partially cleared, Osborne’s cross-cum shot sailed across the goal-mouth and struck the bar before bouncing away to safety to deny the ex-Grimsby man the opening goal.
The Hoops’ McEachran had been fouled a few times when running with the ball, and the referee’s patience finally ran out in the 44th minute when Benton brought down the midfielder and was shown a yellow card. The free-kick was wasted though.
With 45 minutes on the clock Solihull’s Mafuta lost possession near half-way when challenged by two City players, but after falling to the floor the referee gave him a very soft free-kick.
The closing minutes of the first half belonged to Oxford City. First, McEachran made a dangerous run from the half-way line but after his shot from 20 yards was blocked, Fleet mis-kicked with an attempted volley to the rebound. McEachran then surged down the left-wing only for his attempted low cross to be blocked for a corner. Kirby’s delivery went towards centre-half Carroll, who went to ground whilst stretching for the ball, but the referee waived play on.
It remained goal-less at the interval and although Solihull had more of the possession, their play had been very one-dimensionally and they created very little, content to launch balls into the danger zone towards the lumbering Beck, with the few opportunities coming from picking up second balls.
The visitors attempted to surprise the home side at the start of the second period with a nice, passing move on the floor, working the ball to Kelly, whose shot from the edge of the area deflected off Carroll for a corner.
Oxford City’s response was to play more than 30 passes before Kirby shot well over from distance.
The impressive Kelly, by far and away the best Solihull player on the day, was then found in space on the left after a three pass move and ran into the penalty area, but under pressure from Burley lost control and the ball went off for a goal-kick.
A minute later a through pass from Warburton after a City slip put Kelly clear again, but Bycroft raced off his line to block the prodded shot and then claimed the rebound.
The game was now much more entertaining as both sides searched for the opening goal, with Solihull now also trying to play some neat football, with the next chance falling to The Hoops. McEachran ran from near half-way, played a give and go, but his shot from the return pass was blocked. He then blotted his copy book moments later, receiving a yellow card for illegally stopping a Moors counter attack.
However, McEachran was soon a hero again, as a delightful move featuring Moore, McEachran and Parker saw McEachran put in space on the edge of the area, and his low drive beat the keeper on his left hand side and snuck into the corner of the net. 1-0 to Oxford City after 57 minutes.
Solihull could have won a penalty three minutes later when a right-wing cross went far too long. Craig did well to keep the ball in play and the ball hit Moore on the arm. However, the referee deemed it wasn’t deliberate handball, and awarded a corner.
Moors then appealed again in vain for a penalty, much more desperately, when Fleet made a clearance inside the area and a challenging Solihull player was injured, but if anything, it was a foul on Fleet and the referee allowed play to continue.
The visitors’ pressure eventually told, when a long ball out of defence was flicked on by Beck, enabling Warburton to run clear, and the ex-Stockport County and Northampton midfielder calmly slotted past Bycroft for the equaliser. 1-1 after 64 minutes.
In the now end-to-end nature of the match, Sanderson did well to beat his marker down the by-line to cross to the far post. A Moors defender managed to head away before Parker could head home, but only as far as McEachran, whose deft ball found Fleet in space, but after chest-controlling, the Hoops captain could only shoot over the bar.
At the other end Benton’s fierce drive from the edge of the area was pushed away by Bycroft, and when the ball was crossed back towards the 6 yard box, Beck conceded a foul.
With a 3 on 1 counter-attack, substitute Maycock played in Warburton, but the finish from a golden opportunity was poor, and into the side netting. Moors were then perhaps fortunate to win a free-kick on the edge of the home area when Osborne went down after what looked to be a good tackle, but Warburton’s free-kick went into the defensive wall.
A typical Hoops passing move then saw Kirby set-up McEachran, but the 20 yard effort slid just wide of the post. However, two minutes later, Warburton turned and shot left-footed from just outside the area, and after taking a deflection, the ball clipped the top of the bar and over for a corner.
Moore marauded down the right but his pass to McEachran saw the Hoops midfielder crowded out, and back down the other end Benton’s cross from the right found Beck, but the ball ended up in the arms of keeper Bycroft.
With 8 minutes left to play, Oxford City perhaps surprisingly took-off talisman McEachran and Solihull also took-off their goal scorer.
It was the Moors’ change that was to have the decisive impact. A cross by Craig from the left caused a scramble in the goal-mouth and Bycroft pulled off an amazing close-range save to prevent a winning goal for Beck, and seconds later did the same again. However, unfortunately for the keeper the rebound fell to Stevens who hammered left-footed from 6 yards into the roof of the net to put Solihull ahead. 1-2 after 87 minutes.
Although 4 additional minutes were played, Solihull were able to survive the late pressure to end their losing streak and maintain their 100% record at Court Place Farm. After an uninspired first half, in the second half they showed some of the quality that has taken them to 4th in the table.
For Oxford City it was a gut-wrenching end to a game in which a draw probably would have been a fair result, and they remain in deep trouble at the bottom of the table.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyQtD4rOnJc
Oxford City : Bycroft – Burley, Carroll, Roberts – Coyle, Kirby, Fleet, McEachran ( Williams-Bushell ), Moore - Parker, Sanderson ( Potter )
Solihull Moors FC : Hayes – Clarke, Morrison Whitmore, Craig – Benton, Warburton ( Stevens ), Mafuta ( Maycock ), Osborne - Beck, Kelly
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