SOLIHULL Moors must bounce back from the disappointment of Tuesday’s defeat at home to FC United Of Manchester by returning to winning ways when they travel to Gloucester City this Saturday, insists Moors assistant Simon Redhead.
Jerome Wright fired Manchester in front early on Tuesday evening and despite Akwasi Asante equalising shortly after the break, it was the visitors who snatched all three points thanks to a George Thomson strike.
Despite the defeat, Moors remain nine points clear of second-placed Fylde in the National League Northahead of this weekend’s visit to Gloucester who have won six of their last 17 home games and Redhead admits Moors have to put Tuesday’s rare defeat behind them quickly.
He said: “We won’t be too downbeat about the FC United result. These things will happen in football but the secret is to bounce back at the first opportunity.
“We know that the Tigers are a good side with a formidable defence and three good front runners.
“They don’t concede many goals as we found earlier in the season when we could not break down their defence. Whaddon Road is a difficult place to take points and this will be a hard game. Nevertheless we should have a full squad from which to choose and the players are focused on the job in hand.”
FC United of Manchester brought some 300 vocal fans along to Tuesday’s rearranged fixture and any thoughts Moors had of extending their nine-point lead were quickly dispelled in the first minute when Wright hit an effort into the top corner of the next almost straight from the kick-off.
On 17 minutes Wright came close again but his shot was dragged across the face of goal.
Manchester’s fast running on and off the ball combined with their accurate one-touch passing was preventing Moors from getting forward, but nevertheless Akwasi Asante almost managed a one-on-one with Carnell on the 22nd minute but the keeper was fastest out some 20 yards to stop any danger.
Sheridan blasted over just after the half-hour mark while Thomson, on the end of a Johnson pass, saw his effort cleared off the goal line.
Moors’ best chance of the half came on 39 minutes when Eckersley under pressure nodded beyond his keeper as Asante roared in but the speed of the ball carried it over for a corner.
Moors started the second half in a far more positive manner and within two minutes Asante bustled his way into the box to side foot home Andy Brown’s knock down.
The hosts went looking for a second as Ryan Beswick just failed to convert Nottingham’s cross but from that move United broke away and a through ball found Thomson behind the defence and his angled strike from ten yards out hit the back of the net to restore his side’s advantage only two minutes after the equaliser.
Despite conceding Moors were now in their stride with Brown heading onto the top netting on 52 minutes while at the other end Theo Streete did well to prevent Johnson from breaking through.
Stefan Moore replaced Armson with 27 minutes to go and his crosses from the left gave Solihull more impetus up front but both Nottingham and Brown failed to take their chances.
Asante unleashed a screamer from the 18 yard line on 72 minutes which smacked against the cross bar and Brown failed to worry the keeper with a header with 15 minutes left.
Moors pushed in search of an equaliser late on with their best chance falling to Brown after Byrnes’s hot had been saved but the Moors player saw his short cleared off the line.
