Report by Bradley Rice
MOORS Academy were a class above their opponents as they ran out 5-0 winners at home to Coventry Alvis on Saturday afternoon, writes Bradley Rice.
Moors ran rings around a much more experienced outfit and could have had double figures in truth, albeit with a lack of clinical finishing.
Skipper Ethan Sephton spurred the game into life on five minutes.
The left back beat his man, cutting the ball back for Dylon Bennett to finish with aplomb.
Moors kicked on from there, and should have been out of sight when Sephton almost added a goal to his assist, denied by the keeper at his near post.
Centre half Ben Kendrick headed wide before Arman Kooshkoo’s cross narrowly evaded Rubyn Gill.
The second goal arrived in somewhat fortuitous circumstances.
The strong wind caught hold of Keziah Martin’s corner, drifting over the Alvis keeper and into the net – a stroke of luck, but no more than Moors deserved.
Further chances went begging for Gill, Bennett and Reiss McNally as Alvis were incredibly only trailing by two.
The game became a scrappy affair after the break as the rain lashed down, allowing Alvis to make their physical presence known as the Moors backline were forced to survive a spell of pressure.
It was enough of a warning for Moors Manager Sam Manoochehri, bringing on Mikkel Hirst and Shuja Mahmood, who both made an instant impact.
Hirst flew down the left, his first cross was cleared but his second found it’s intended target.
Mahmood’s downward header hit the bar but crucially, crept over the line.
The goal knocked the fight out of the visitors and Moors regained control, adding gloss to the performance in the final ten minutes.
First, Rubyn Gill chose placement over power, producing a cool and composed side footed finish from outside the box.
Moments later, Mahmood caressed the ball into the far corner for his brace.
It proved a comfortable win, with an emphatic score-line, although there remains room to improve.
Solihull’s sloppiness in finishing wasn’t punished here but tougher tests await and other teams may not be so forgiving.
Moors Academy next host Fairfield Villa on Saturday (3pm) in MFL Division 2.
Fans can watch the academy side in action at The Trevor Brown Memorial Ground on Church Road in Boldemere (B73 5RY).
Bradley Rice can be found writing for his blog – Half-Time Oranges – where he provides original insights into the original game from a number of different angles, all sharing the same trend of focusing on real stories from real people.
He can also be found providing live tweets and content for Solihull Moors Academy side @MoorsAcademy
