SOLIHULL Moors guaranteed a home play-off tie after beating Dagenham and Redbridge 3-1 despite playing with 10-men for over an hour.
Moors raced into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Callum Howe and Callum Maycock before Jamey Osborne saw red on 23 minutes.
However, Moors sealed the win before half time when Alex Gudger found the net with Josh Walker netting a consolation for Dagenham in the second period at the ARMCO Arena.
The result lifts Moors up to third in the National League table, ahead of Halifax Town on goal difference with one match left to play in the regular season.
Dagenham created the first chance of the match with recent loan signing Joe McDonnell thwarting Junior Morias early on.
And Moors were then denied an opener at the other end when Howe’s effort was cleared off the line by former Solihull man Paul McCallum.
However, Howe eventually found a way through when he opened the scoring on 13 minutes with a low drive into the bottom left corner having brought the ball down on his chest.
The visitors responded when McDonnell pulled off a fine acrobatic save to keep out Morias before Joe Sbarra was denied by the legs of Dagenham keeper Elliot Justham at the other end.
Moors doubled their lead on 21 minutes when Maycock finished from 10-yards out after Ryan Barnett’s cross was deflected into his path.
However, Neal Ardley’s side were dealt a blow two minutes later when Osborne was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Mauro Vilhete.
And despite their man disadvantage, Solihull trebled their lead on 42 minutes when Gudger pounced from close range after Harry Boyes’ dangerous free-kick was nodded into his path.
Dagenham reduced the deficit on 55 minutes when Walker headed home past McDonnell from Myles Weston’s cross.
And the away side almost made it a nervy finish only for Howe to throw his body in the way of Walker’s shot and deflect it wide.
The visitors came close again soon after when Morias’s shot cannoned back off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety.
Moors survived another scare at the death when Walker hit the base of the post before McCallum poked the rebound wide.
Solihull finish their league campaign with a trip to Boreham Wood on Sunday, May 15 with kick-off at 3pm at Meadow Park.
