Solihull Moors 2 Brakes 0

A very disappointing first-half performance ultimately cost Brakes as they slipped to defeat at Solihull, writes Paul Edwards.
Delroy Gordon finds himself outnumbered by three Solihull Moors defenders, with Liam Daly rising highest to get his head to the centre. Picture: Morris TroughtonDelroy Gordon finds himself outnumbered by three Solihull Moors defenders, with Liam Daly rising highest to get his head to the centre. Picture: Morris Troughton
Delroy Gordon finds himself outnumbered by three Solihull Moors defenders, with Liam Daly rising highest to get his head to the centre. Picture: Morris Troughton

Despite two defeats on the bounce after a string of positive results and performances there was still hope of turning things around against the Moors, who had lost their previous five games, but in truth the home side rarely had to get out of second gear to secure the points.

A couple of early warning shots fired at the Leamington goal went wide, Omar Bogle shooting into the ground from a half-cleared Stefan Moore cross while Jordan Gough sent a decent effort wide as Brakes struggled to clear their lines, something which was to prove their downfall during the first half.

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Lee Chilton did his best to rouse his team-mates with some driving runs from the left and fired a shot wide of the target, while Ryan Beswick drove well over from distance for the hosts.

Connor Gudger forced Tony Breeden into his first save of the match with a well-struck free-kick that was heading for the top corner until the former Brakes keeper plucked it out of the air.

Moors moved in front in the 15th minute when Gough was afforded too much time and space to sidefoot home from the left-hand side of the area.

Solihull were having very little trouble penetrating the Brakes defence and they were given a helping hand towards their second three minutes later when a loose header was pounced upon by Darryl Knights, who neatly moved past the helpless Jonny Maddison to prod into an empty net.

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Liam Daly almost piled on the misery but his header dropped wide of the far post, while Bogle found the roof of the net after a spot of ball juggling inside the six-yard box.

Shorn of the driving force of skipper Danny Newton, Leamington were unable to muster any kind of response and it needed a couple of early second-half substitutions from Paul Holleran to ensure Solihull were given more of a game.

However, before this the hosts could have gone further ahead, with Gough unfortunate to see his cracking strike cannon off the inside of the post and away to safety, while Stefan Moore sliced wide from a good right-wing cross.

Jack Edwards and Lee Moore were central to the Leamington improvement, the former forcing Breeden into a save at his near post from a corner, while Jordan Goddard screamed in frustration after a superb run past several defenders ended with a shot straight at Breeden.

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Moore was just unable to connect with a good cross from Nathan Hicks as Leamington enjoyed their best spell of the game but they were unable to find a way past Breeden to set up a nerve-jangling finish.

Edwards extended Breeden with a curling low drive from just outside the box and fellow substitute Aron Wint also got an effort in on goal after a good turn but it lacked the power to beat Breeden.

With the game slipping away the travelling support began serenading their former goalkeeper to return for a third spell, but were unable to break his concentration as he did well to prevent Michael Nottingham’s deflection on Gudger’s cross from creeping in at the near post.

Solihull almost had the last word, Reece Fleet firing in a shot that was held by Maddison, but those three first half minutes were key to the destination of the points.

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Solihull Moors: Tony Breeden, Michael Nottingham, Jordan Gough, Reece Fleet, Liam Daly, Dominic Langdon, Junior English, Stefan Moore, Omar Bogle, Ryan Beswick, Darryl Knights. Subs not used: Joe Ballinger, Darren Byfield, Lewis Hayden, Jean Michel Gueyes, Kieran Nesbitt.

Brakes: Jonny Maddison, James Mace, Connor Gudger, Joe Magunda, Jamie Tank, Delroy Gordon, Bilal Yafai (Lee Moore, 60), Jordan Goddard, Ashley Worsfold (Jack Edwards, 65), Nathan Hicks (Aron Wint, 80), Lee Chilton. Subs not used: James Husband, Lewis Fenney.

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