A dramatic comeback at the ARMCO Arena saw Solihull Moors overcome an early deficit and a numerical disadvantage to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory against ten-man Woking. The match, a pulsating encounter featuring a red card, a penalty, and late drama, kept the home faithful on tenterhooks until the final whistle.
Woking drew first blood in the 8th minute. A slickly-worked move culminated in Max Dyche teeing up Harry Beautyman, who calmly slotted the ball past the Solihull keeper to give the visitors an early advantage. Stung by the setback, Solihull responded with increased urgency, pressing forward in search of an equaliser. Their task was made considerably easier in the 39th minute when Woking’s Charley Kendall was dismissed for violent conduct, reducing the visitors to ten men. Solihull capitalised on the resulting penalty, with Jack Stevens coolly converting from the spot just before half-time to level the scores at 1-1.
The second half was a tense affair. Solihull, enjoying the lion’s share of possession, probed relentlessly against a resolute Woking defence. Despite their numerical inferiority, the Cards defended bravely and posed a threat on the counter-attack. The intensity and fraught nature of the contest were reflected in a flurry of yellow cards for both sides. Solihull’s persistence finally paid off in the 82nd minute. Jamey Osborne’s astute pass found Stevens, who expertly dispatched his second goal of the match to spark jubilant celebrations amongst the home support. Woking rallied in search of a late equaliser, but Solihull held firm to secure all three points.
The victory propelled Solihull Moors up the table to 7th place on 24 points, a significant jump from their pre-match position of 11th. Woking, meanwhile, remain in 19th place on 16 points. Coming into this fixture, the two sides had met four times previously, with Solihull winning once, losing twice, and drawing once. Interestingly, both teams had scored four goals apiece across those encounters.