Match Report: Solihull Moors 0 Yeovil Town 1

Striker Junior Morias bagged his third goal in as many games to grab Yeovil Town their first away of the season at bottom club Solihull Moors.

The experienced striker was in the right place at the back post when James Plant’s deflected shot looped up and landed at the feet of Morias who turned it home.

It had been a bruising encounter against a physical Solihull side who threw themselves forward in the second half, but could not a breakthrough.

First half

With two minutes played, Yeovil had the game’s first opportunity as Junior Morias was set free towards goal and he laid it off to Josh Sims whose effort needed helping over the bar by Solihull keeper Laurie Walker.

Half time: Solihull Moors 0 Yeovil Town 1

Second half

The opening chance of the second half did not arrive until the 53rd minute when Jacob Wakeling lashed one in to the side netting before Aaron Jarvis replaced Greenslade two minutes later. If you need a back to goal battering ram, Jarvis is probably your man.

But on 59 minutes, Wakeling, who signed from Peterborough United before kick-off, ran through on a long ball over the top with the Yeovil defence scrambling to try and get back. The 23-year-old had only Jed Ward to beat but blazed his effort over the bar. That should be 1-1, but it’s not.

There were further changes for the visitors on 65 minutes with on loan Birmingham City striker Ben Wodskou and former Solihull man Tahvon Campbell, who replace Junior Morias and Josh Sims.

On 70 minutes, Kyle Ferguson went down in a heap after a full-blooded 50-50 tackle in the middle of the pitch. The summer signing looks in a lot of pain, but he has got to his feet and walked (/limped) off the pitch. Unbelievably, he’s returned to the pitch.

There’s been a lot of possession for the home side and Wakeling found himself in a lot of room after 74 minutes and lashed a long range effort wide, but we have to learn the lessons of throwing leads away in our past two matches. 

Ferguson cannot continue here and he is replaced by Finn Cousin-Dawson after 77 minutes with Pendleton replaced by Alex Whittle at the same time.

Plant had a great opportunity after twisting and turning inside the box three minutes later, but his shot was blocked and landed to Jarvis who was facing the wrong way and could not get it back to Wodskou. Moments later, Williams’ ball in finds Jarvis but he cannot get a shot on target. Six minutes remaining and McCormick is given time and space to move towards goal and unleashes an effort past the post from distance.

Eight minutes of injury time goes up as the game ticks over to 90 minutes and you sense there is a kitchen sink about to be thrown by Solihull and with seven of them played keeper Walker came forward for a free-kick which mercifully crept wide.

The final whistle on the first away win of the season sounded sweet, but in the home end Solihull fans were calling for the sacking of manager Matt Taylor. We needed that.

Substitutes: Aaron Jarvis (for Harvey Greenslade, 55), Ben Wodskou (for Junior Morias, 65), Tahvon Campbell (for Josh Sims, 65), Finn Cousin-Dawson (for Kyle Ferguson, 77), Alex Whittle (for Byron Pendleton, 77), Matt Gould (not used).

Solihull Moors: Laurie Walker, James Clarke, Cameron Green, Alex Whitmore, Brad Nicholson, Dan Creaney, Ben Worman (for Sam Bowen, 81), Louis Jackson, Jacob Wakeling (for Callum McFarlane, 89), Emmanuel Sonupe, Oscar Rutherford (for Shen Whyte-Hall, 67).

Substitutes (not used):  Rory Brown, Oliver Tipton, Finn Howell, Brad Stevenson.