A seven-goal thriller unfolded at the ARMCO Arena, where Hartlepool United emerged victorious after a pulsating 4-3 National League encounter with Solihull Moors. The match was a relentless end-to-end affair from the first whistle, with both sides committed to attack.
Hartlepool drew first blood in the 17th minute when Adam Campbell found the back of the net, giving the visitors an early lead. Solihull Moors responded swiftly, levelling the score in the 35th minute through Conor Wilkinson, who capitalised on a Bradley Stevenson assist. The parity proved short-lived, however, as Joe Grey restored Hartlepool’s advantage just four minutes later, ensuring the visitors entered the break with a 2-1 lead.
The second half proved even more dramatic. Matthew Warburton brought the Moors level again in the 51st minute, assisted by Wilkinson. The home side then took the lead for the first time in the match when Stevenson, having earlier turned provider, found the net himself in the 59th minute, courtesy of a Jamey Osborne pass. Their lead lasted a mere minute, however, as Joe Grey bagged his second goal of the game, assisted by Luke Charman, to make it 3-3. The final twist in this captivating encounter came in the 65th minute when Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, also assisted by Charman, scored the winner for Hartlepool. A yellow card for Hartlepool’s Tom Parkes in the 52nd minute added to the drama of an already exhilarating match.
Both teams made changes in the second half as they sought to gain the upper hand. Solihull Moors replaced goalscorer Warburton with James Gale, later introducing Oliver Tipton and Sam Bowen. Hartlepool brought on Greg Sloggett, Matthew Bondswell and Billy Sass-Davies. Despite Solihull’s best efforts to find an equaliser, Hartlepool held firm to claim a hard-fought victory.
The result sees Hartlepool United climb to 13th in the National League table, while Solihull Moors remain in 8th. The two sides have a close history, having met four times in recent seasons, with Solihull previously enjoying a slightly superior head-to-head record.