Glen Harrington
4:24pm, Thu 2nd Dec 2021
Solihull Moors vs Woking
Vanarama National League
Saturday 12th November 2021
Woking will once again be aiming to return to winning ways on Saturday as they travel to Solihull Moors in the National League.
The Cards have won three and lost three of their last six games. Their inconsistencies were exposed again on Saturday as Barnet overcame an early Joe McNerney goal to claim a 2-1 win and all three points at the Laithwaite Community Stadium. Alan Dowson’s side will be hoping that they can get back on track with another success away from home – where they’ve already claimed 15 points this season, three more than they managed in the entirety of last season (noting that the win over Dover Athletic was later expunged). But they face a tough challenge against in-form Solihull, who are just one point adrift of the play-off places after a 2-0 win over Grimsby Town last time out.
Dowse will hope to have star striker Tahvon Campbell, scorer of 13 league goals this season, available again. The forward limped off in the closing stages of the win over Weymouth last week and missed Saturday’s defeat to Barnet. However, fellow forward Inih Effiong won’t be available after he picked up his fifth league yellow card of the season against the Bees, whilst Max Kretzschmar, Rohan Ince and Jamar Loza are injury doubts after all three were forced off last weekend. As confirmed last Friday, Jordan Maguire-Drew and Kane Thompson-Sommers have now left the club.
Opposition Watch
Solihull are in their sixth season in the National League after winning National League North in 2016. After narrowly avoiding relegation in both 2017 and 2018, they became promotion contenders in 2019, when they finished second to Leyton Orient and were beaten in the play-offs by AFC Fylde. After being expected to challenge for promotion again in both 2020 and 2021, they instead found themselves mired in mid-table, and they responded by appointing former AFC Wimbledon and Notts County manager Neil Ardley last summer.
Ardley has an impressive squad to work with, including former Aberdeen and Salford City striker Adam Rooney and ex-Stevenage man Danny Newton. Last summer also saw them sign Andrew Dallas, who impressed on loan at Weymouth last season, and joined the club from Cambridge United. Their star player is 22-year-old midfielder Joe Sbarra, who has nine goals already this campaign, having scored eight in all competitions last season after joining from Burton Albion.
The Moors enjoyed a hugely profitable October, winning four and drawing two of their six league games, as well as advancing in the FA Cup. November has proved trickier, with defeats to Notts County, Chesterfield, and Wigan Athletic in the cup (after extra time in a replay). Although they responded well to beat Grimsby last time out. Club captain Kyle Storer is currently suspended after being sent off against Chesterfield.
Recent Meetings
• Solihull Moors
2-1 Woking – 15th May 2021, National League (Collier)
• Woking
2-1 Solihull Moors – 3rd October 2020, National League (Kretzschmar, Ferdinand)
• Woking
2-0 Solihull Moors – 24th August 2019, National League (Hyde, Parry)
• Solihull Moors
3-0 Woking – 20th January 2018, National League
• Woking
2-1 Solihull Moors – 12th September 2017, National League (Banton, Carter)
On the Day
Solihull’s home ground is Damson Park. The postcode is B92 8PS.
Tickets are priced at just £10 for adults and free for under-12s. To book your tickets
click here.
The Cards Trust is running a coach to this game. For full details please
click here.
