Home   Gravesend   Sport   Article

Solihull Moors 1 Ebbsfleet United 3 match report

Ebbsfleet made it three National League wins in a row at Solihull Moors on Tuesday night.

Goals from Myles Weston and Danny Kedwell had Fleet in control at the break but it was a nervy second half after Solihull pulled one back.

But Danny Mills came off the bench to net his first goal for the club late on and that was enough to kill off a struggling Moors side.

Danny Mills opened his account for Ebbsfleet Picture: Andy Payton
Danny Mills opened his account for Ebbsfleet Picture: Andy Payton

Ebbsfleet were forced into three changes from Saturday's 2-0 win over FC Halifax.

Marvin McCoy came in at right-back for Sam Magri, who's on international duty with Malta, while the visitors were also missing midfielder Andy Drury and striker Darren McQueen through injury.

Weston played up front with Kedwell while Luke Coulson and Sean Shields - who came off the bench to score both goals at the weekend - were brought into the starting XI.

Kedwell headed wide from an early Shields cross and Chris Bush glanced a header just past the post from Jack Powell's corner.

The home side began the night just one place off the bottom of the National League and while they saw a fair bit of the ball, they created very little going forward in the first half.

Weston forced a save from Nathan Vaughan after turning smartly on the edge of the box and Coulson then had a dinked shot scrambled off the line by Joe Payne after he'd run at the Moors defence from inside his own half.

Oladapo Afolayan fired Solihull's first effort of the match into the fans behind the goal but Fleet continued to press forward.

Powell lashed a shot over after good build-up play involving McCoy and Shields, before Kedwell hit a shot which also cleared the crossbar.

Fleet deservedly took the lead on 27 minutes, Weston finding the corner with a peach of a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

It was 2-0 just four minutes later, Weston turning provider and Kedwell tapping his cross home from point-blank range.

Shields almost picked out Dean Rance for a third and another driving run from Coulson ended with the midfielder arrowing a low shot inches wide of the far post.

The home side fired a warning across the Fleet bows late in the first period when former Birmingham and West Brom midfielder Darren Carter rattled the crossbar.

Moors created an opening at the start of the second period when Afolayan crossed from the left but Richard Brodie couldn't get enough power or direction into his header.

But Solihull did score on 56 minutes. Bush let Afolayan get the wrong side of him, dragged him down and when the free-kick was rolled to Carter, his shot hit Simeon Maye and bounced beyond the wrong-footed Ashmore.

Moors, with their tails now up, went close with a header from a corner as Fleet looked shaky for a few minutes.

Carter was allowed to turn in space but fortunately his shot from distance was straight at Ashmore.

The visitors were being penned back in their own half and Daryl McMahon sent on Mills and Anthony Cook in an attempt to stem the tide.

Still, though, it was Solihull doing all the pressing and Carter drove a shot wide before Fleet finally broke their shackles and got the ball up the other end.

Kedwell was blocked off as he tried to control Powell's pass and when the corner was returned to Powell, his next cross landed on the roof of the net.

But there was no denying Mills, seven minutes from time, when he wriggled away from two defenders in the box and rolled a low shot across Vaughan to make the points safe.

Weston went close from Cook's late cross and Kedwell smashed a shot over as the travelling fans, who were noisy all night, roared in celebration at the final whistle.

Solihull: Vaughan, Green, Carter, Kettle, Maye (Campbell 72mins), Afolayan, Brodie (Fox 83mins), Carline (McDonald 53mins), Daly, Richards, Payne. Subs not used: Bannister, Liburd.

Ebbsfleet: Ashmore, McCoy, Clark, Bush, Connors, Shields (Cook 75mins), Rance, Powell, Coulson (Mills 69mins), Weston (Graham 90mins), Kedwell. Subs not used: Miles, Mambo.

Attendance: 579 (99 away).

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More