Match Report: Moors vs Leeds U21s

Chris Millington’s Solihull Moors side welcome an Aldershot Town side who are led by the current Head Coach, Scott Davies, in this Enterprise National League game on the afternoon of Saturday 12 th September. Millington’s Moors will be looking to get all three points against The Shots. The most recent competitive game for Aldershot saw them come face to face with FC Halifax Town, also at home, where they would go on to win the game thanks to a winning goal from Marcus Wyllie with just ten minutes of the ninety to go. This sees them now sat up in 9 th place in England’s fifth tier at present. Aldershot Town are, of course, a phoenix club. The original club was founded as Aldershot Football Club back in 1926, and they would go on to play in the English Football League for 60 years from 1932 to 1992, which was when they were dissolved. The club ceased to exist due to financial debts that saw them resign from the Football League. Aldershot Town Football Club were then founded to take the place of the old club back on 22 nd April 1992, with their first ever manager being former centre back Steve Wignall, who played for the club for 5 years between 1986 and 1991 at the end of his 19 year playing career. The club began life in the Isthmian League Division Three for the 1992/93 season, with their home games still being played at The Recreation Ground, as they are to this day. They won their first game there against Clapton, beating them 4 – 2 in front of a crowd of 1,493, more than the crowd that had attended the former club’s final home game at this same stadium. They won their first ten games in a row, and only lost one game all season, winning the league title by an incredible 18 points in the end. Their only loss was in an away game against the aforementioned Clapton, with Mark Butler and Steve Stairs scoring a combined total of 62 goals between them during that league campaign. Their first home defeat actually didn’t come until after 20 months, 35 games in total, when they were only defeated by Banstead Athletic in April 1994. At the end of that 1993/94 season, they had been promoted again, whilst also making it to the FA Vase Quarter Finals. Boss Wignall left for Colchester United a few months before that, in January 1994, and was replaced by Steve Wigley, formerly a winger for Nottingham Forest. We now fast forward to the 2002/03 season, during which they had a very successful campaign under the temporary charge of Stuart Cash. They claimed the title to get themselves a historic promotion to the Football Conference whilst also lifting further silverware in the form of the Hampshire Senior Cup, after they were able to get the better of Bashley. In their first season back at the fifth tier of the English Football Pyramid, they were able to remain in the play-off positions for much of the campaign, meaning that they were once again in contention for promotion. However, they were to go on to lose on penalty kicks following a 1 – 1 draw with Shrewsbury Town at the home of Stoke City, then known as the Britannia Stadium. The club went full time the following season. The 2004/05 season saw more play-off disappointment. It was not until the 2007/08 season that the club were able to finally celebrate a promotion back into the English Football League following a season that saw them win no less than 31 league games, whilst also earning a league record of 101 points to pair with their record number of victories in the division that season. This was done under the stewardship of then manager Gary Waddock. In the 2008/09 season, they achieved a very respectable 6 th place finish, which improved on the 13 th place finish in their first season back at this level. They did play Manchester United at home in an eye-catching FA Cup tie during the 2011/12 season, though they did lose 3 – 0 to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. However, they were soon to return to the National League, getting relegated under the management of Andy Scott, who had been appointed late in the season following the resignation of former boss Dean Holdsworth. Soon after the club returned to the fifth tier, they suffered financial difficulties and were entered into administration with a reported debt of as much as £1.4 million. A consortium, led by the former Chairman Shahid Azeem, then eventually took ownership of the club on August 1 st 2013. They would begin the 2013/14 National League season with a points deduction of ten points in total. Incredibly, The Shots had wiped out this points deficit by the first week of September following a draw and three wins in their first seven games to open the season. They were still plunged into a relegation battle that saw them secure safety thanks to a 2 – 1 win on Easter Monday against their local rivals Woking in what was the penultimate game of the campaign. This win against Woking was part of a run of four wins out of their last seven games of that particular season. By 31 st August 2014, it had been announced that the club had paid off all of its debts, an incredible two years ahead of schedule. Fast forward to the 2016/17 season, when they came close to promotion back to the English Football League once more. This was following an amazing run of just one loss in their final 21 league games of the season under the stewardship of boss Barry Smith. Unfortunately for The Shots, they were to go on and suffer a heavy 5 – 2 aggregate loss over two legs against Tranmere Rovers in the semi-finals. They did, though, have the meanest defence after only conceding 37 goals all season, also having the most clean sheets with as many as 22. The joint top goalscorers that season were Bernard Mensah and Scott Rendall, both with 13 goals each in all competitions. Aldershot came dangerously close to relegation to the sixth tier for the first time in 16 years during the 2017/18 campaign, finishing in the relegation zone. However, they were spared relegation after Gateshead’s demotion due to financial irregularities. We now move on to the recent 2023/24 campaign, where, following the promotion of Wrexham to League Two, Aldershot Town Football Club then became the longest-serving club at the fifth level of the English Football Pyramid, with 11 seasons there in total at that point. An 8 th place finish with 69 points was achieved, followed by a total of 57 points in the following campaign, finishing down in 16 th place in 2024/25. Last season, in the 2025/26 campaign, they were able to accumulate a grand total of 46 points that saw them finish narrowly above the relegation zone in 20 th place in the end. As of the time of writing, they sit as high as 9 th place in the National League, with a total of 11 points from their first 6 games, and they will hope to have a much more positive season by the end of the ongoing 2026/27 Enterprise National League campaign. In the opposition dugout – Scott Davies Current Aldershot Manager Scott Davies has been in charge ever since his appointment by The Shots ahead of the current campaign back on 27 th April 2026, with this being his first full season in charge of the club in the hot seat at the Recreation Ground. He previously had a successful spell in charge of Slough between 2022 and 2026, which was the 38 year old’s first ever job in senior club management. Davies also had an extensive playing career ahead of his new career in coaching and football management. Only retiring in following his departure as player-manager of Slough back in April 2026, his playing career spanned no less than 20 years, where he had also spent time at the likes of Reading (2006 - 2011), Yeading (Loan, 2006), Aldershot Town (Loan, 2007 – 2008; Loan 2008/09; Loan, 2011 – 2012; 2026), Wycombe Wanderers (Loan, 2009 – 2010; 2010), Yeovil Town (Loan, 2010), Bristol Rovers (Loan, 2011), Crawley Town (2011 - 2012), Oxford United (2013 - 2014), Dunstable Town (2014 - 2015), Wealdstone (2015 - 2016), Oxford City (2016 - 2017), Chelmsford City (2017 - 2018), Slough Town (2018 – 2019; 2019 - 2026), Kingstonian (2019), Harlow Town (2019), Biggleswade Town (Loan, 2020), Staines Town (Loan, 2020), Beaconsfield Town (2021), and also Risborough Rangers (2022). Key Player – Tristan Abrahams Aldershot Town forward Tristan Abrahams is currently their standout player, and he is their top scorer so far this season, scoring 5 so far in the 2026/27 Enterprise National League season after 6 matches so far. Abrahams spent part of last season on loan at Chelmsford City. Abrahams has so far had a playing career spanning ten years as of September 2026. Ahead of his permanent move to Aldershot in June 2025, he had represented the likes of Leyton Orient (2016 – 2017; Loan, 2017; Loan, 2021), Cambridge City (Loan, 2016 - 2017), Norwich City (2017 - 2019), Exeter City (Loan, 2018 - 2019), Yeovil Town (Loan, 2019), Newport County (2019 - 2021), Carlisle United (2021 - 2022), Grimsby Town (Loan, 2022), Eastleigh (2022 – 2023), Gillingham (Loan, 2023), Welling United (2023 - 2024), and Maidenhead United (2024 - 2025). Opposition Overview written by Adam Holt

With the Premier League pausing for the international break, supporters can still enjoy live football at Damson Park as Solihull Moors host Boreham Wood on Saturday 26th September. For this fixture only, adult and 65+ tickets have been reduced to jus t £15, givin g supporters the perfect opportunity to get behind the Moors and enjoy an afternoon of National League action. Tickets for younger supporters will also remain available at the Club’s reduced prices: Adults: £15 65+: £15 Ages 16–24: £11 Ages 12–15: £7.50 Under-12s: £1 The match kicks off at 3pm , and we want to welcome as many supporters as possible to Damson Park. Whether you’re a regular Moors supporter or looking for your live-football fix during the international break, secure your ticket and join us for the visit of Boreham Wood. Solihull Moors v Boreham Wood Saturday 26th September 3pm kick-off Damson Park

Solihull Moors suffered late, late heartbreak at Gateshead International Stadium, conceding a last-gasp equaliser to deny us our first win of the season. New signing Ryan Woods came straight into the starting 11, bringing vast experience to the midfield and shielding the defence well on his debut. The Moors started the game on the front foot and threatened the home sides goal on several occasions. A cross from Matty Carson almost caught out Gateshead goalkeeper Peter Jameson, narrowly floating past the far post. Joe Sbarra looked lively and put several dangerous balls into the box, none of which came to anything, but it showed great attacking intent from Chris Millington's side. Captain Alex Whitmore denied the home side from getting a shot away when they broke on a counter-attack, but the majority of the half belonged to The Moors. Ben Wodskou had the best chances of the half, the first effort was just off-target following a good ball into the box from Jamie Andrews. The striker then had two glorious opportunities, first getting on the end of a deflection to get his shot away, which was magnificently saved by the keeper, and then his second attempt was also brilliantly kept out as Jameson desperately clung on to his clean-sheet. Gateshead made a double substitution and changed their formation at the start of the second half, with the Tynesiders looking to break up the momentum Solihull were building up before the break. The opening stages were much more even than the first half, with Lee Cattermole's side seeing a lot more of the ball in the middle of the park. The Moors were forced into a change shortly after, Whitmore, who had been involved in several heavy challenges, made way for Tyler French, only just returning from injury himself. Carson put in several dangerous corners that Solihull just couldn't get on the end of, and also had a free-kick well cleared away from danger as we pushed for a much-needed opening goal. Gateshead sub Spellman came on and added more creativity the home side, creating a couple of openings for his team-mates, who were unlucky not to make more of the chances. Scott High hit a half-chance high over the bar, following another good run down the left by Sbarra, who had cut the ball back to the midfielder 10 yards out. Andrews was forced into pulling a Gateshead player down as they had the Moors outnumbered at the back, the yellow card he received was the epitome of taking one for the team. Callum McFarlane was introduced for the final half an hour as Millington's men looked for that elusive winning goal. Max Metcalfe, who had much quieter afternoon in goal than previous games, did very well to rush out and collect a through-ball that was destined for the Gateshead striker about 8 yards out. Jacob Wakeling couldn't believe he hadn't given his side the lead when Jameson was yet again the hero for the home team, the goalkeeper somehow finger-tipping the attackers shot onto a combination of post and crossbar. Desperately unlucky from our number 9. Another dangerous corner caused confusion in the Gateshead box, High skewing his shot straight to Tyler French, who's effort was scooped over the bar and onto the roof of the net. Shortly after, Wakeling beat his man down the left, and put an almost inch-perfect cross in for McFarlane, the substitute going painfully close to poking the ball into the net. Jevon Mills, solid at the back throughout, also came within inches of getting a touch on the ball from a few yards out from another corner. A long throw ended up at the feet of Gateshead's Holgate, but he couldn't keep his shot down. Mills had a good header well saved following a cross into the box, the defender stooping down to get his head to the ball at the far post, whilst doing well not to be wrestled to the floor by the defender. PENALTY - 86' Sbarra took a great touch in his stride to get into the box, before laying the ball to Wakeling, and just as he set himself to hit a left-footed shot inside the area, the striker was clumsily taken down. Penalty to The Moors! GOAL - 87' Moors. Callum McFarlane took the responsibility and calmly tucked the penalty away into the left-hand corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. 0-1 The Moors, within touching distance of those precious three points, looked to be heading for that first win, Wakeling dispossessing a defender before firing low effort at the feet of the goalkeeper. After a Gateshead attack, French went down with a worrying looking injury, the defender, in only his first game back since his previous injury, then had to be replaced by Justin Hanks. Goal - 93' Gateshead. An attack down the Gateshead left looked like it had been cut out, Hanks taking control of the ball and laying back to what he thought was his own man, only to see Micky Spellman racing through to collect the ball, before rounding Metcalfe and slotting into the net. 1-1. Utter devastation for The Moors. Full time, it ends all square, 1-1 Once the dust settles, and as much as the ending will hurt, it's as close to a win as we've been all season and that first point is on the board. The fight, determination and attitude from every single player cannot be doubted, and as their reaction at the end showed, they're all gutted. One thing that today proved yet again is we're all in this together. Moors fans, you were incredible yet again today, all 59 that travelled the 3 and a half hour, 200+ mile journey, we appreciate each and every one of you. Attendance Travelling Moors fans - 59 Total attendance - 596 Next up for The Moors is a return to Damson Park ahead of a double header of home games, first we face Leeds United U21's in the National League Cup on the 8th September, 7pm kick-off, followed by a visit from Aldershot Town on the 12th September, 3pm kick-off. We look forward to seeing you there! Tickets for the Leeds United U21's are free, but still need to be claimed. To claim your tickets, please visit the link below - https://solihullmoorsfc.ticketco.events/uk/en/e/solihull_moors_v_leeds_national_league_cup?version=m Ticket details for the Aldershot fixture will be announced in due course. COYM!💛💙 Written by Scott Cattell

Chris Millington’s Solihull Moors side are set to resume their National League Cup campaign with a fixture against Leeds United Under 21s, who are led by their manager Scott Gardner on the evening of Tuesday 8 th September 2026 at Damson Park. The Moors will be hoping to secure victory after being beaten by Middlesbrough’s Under 21s side last time out. The most recent game for Gardner’s Leeds side was in the Premier League 2, where they faced Liverpool away from home. It was a tight 2 – 1 defeat at the hands of the Reds, with Carrick Njinko scoring the only goal of the game for the away side. In their previous game in the National League Cup, Leeds were emphatically beaten 5 – 2 by the hands of Boreham Wood at the Mangata Developments Stadium Meadow Park. Regan Booty, Lewis Richardson, Tarryn Allarakhia, and Farhaan Ali-Wahid were all on the scoresheet for the hosts that day. As for Leeds, they scored their goals through the likes of Sam Chambers and Josh McDonald. As of the time of writing, the Leeds United Under 21s side currently sit in 14 th place with 3 points to their name. Last season, they ended up with a 25 th place finish after being able to accumulate 18 points overall with a goal difference of -12. Leeds United are one of the oldest and most famous clubs in English football, founded in 1919. Their formation came about after the original club of the city, Leeds City, was officially disbanded by the Football League after the club had received allegations of illegal payments to players over the course of the First World War. United were formed at Salem Chapel and were voted into the Midland League. Shortly after their founding, they were able to acquire Elland Road as their stadium, which is, of course, where their first team plays their football to this day. It was bought for as little as £250 in the early stages of the 20 th century. No name is more synonymous with Leeds United Football Club than the legendary football manager Don Revie. Revie was in charge of the Yorkshire-based club for a period of thirteen years between 1961 and 1974. During his time in charge, he led the club to two First Division titles, the FA Cup, a League Cup, the FA Charity Shield, a Second Division title, and two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups. Revie’s first trophy with Leeds was won in 1964 when the Second Division title was won, followed by his first Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and a League Cup title in 1968. In 1969, they won the First Division. In 1971, their second and final Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was won. This was quickly followed in 1972 by the FA Cup crown after they were able to beat Arsenal 1 – 0 at Wembley thanks to a winning goal from Allan Clarke in the early stages of the second half. Another First Division League title was promptly won in 1974. He then left for the England job. The key players for Revie’s Leeds during this period included several names who are club legends, including the likes of Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Norman Hunter, Jack Charlton, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, the aforementioned Allan Clarke, Mick Jones, Paul Reaney, and Terry Cooper. In the early 2000s, Leeds United entered a period of turmoil. In an effort to make the Champions League for its revenues and sponsorship rights, then owner Peter Ridsdale took out large loans against the club to aid this effort. However, they missed out for two seasons running, and this led to financial troubles that meant the sale of some key players, including Rio Ferdinand, who went to Manchester United. Jonathan Woodgate was also sold, with the central defender moving on to Newcastle United in the end. Leeds were finally relegated to the Championship in 2004, reaching the playoff final in their first season in the second tier under the ownership of Ken Bates, though they did go on to lose to Watford in the end. By May of 2007, the club was entered into administration, which incurred a ten point deduction that officially relegated them to League One, though they began season one in the third tier with a 15 point deduction. They went on to spend three years in that league before securing their return to the Championship in 2010 as runners-up to Norwich City. During that final season in League One, they famously beat fierce rivals Manchester United, then led by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, at Old Trafford. The winning goal came from Jermaine Beckford in the early stages of the first half. Their stay outside of the top flight lasted for another ten years, with Leeds finally gaining promotion under the management of modern day club legend Marcelo Bielsa, emphatically winning the league title in 2020. Under Bielsa, they were able to achieve what was a credible top half finish in their first season back in the Premier League, with their points tally of 59 being the best since Ipswich Town 20 years earlier. The Tractor Boys had got a total of 66 back in the 2000/01 campaign. Bielsa left the club in February 2022, and he was succeeded by the American Head Coach Jesse Marsch, who left in February 2023 after he also had a poor run of results towards the end of his tenure at the club. They were still relegated back to the Championship under successor Sam Allardyce. Daniel Farke, the First Team’s current boss, was appointed back on 4 th July 2023. At this time, the 49ers Enterprises completed a takeover of part of the club. Leeds United won the title in the 2024/25 English Football League Championship season, secured by a win against Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the season. The 2025/26 Premier League season, the first since they returned to the top flight, saw them avoid relegation with a 14 th place finish, accumulating 47 points from their 38 games in total. Their safety was secured on 10 th May 2026 after Arsenal defeated West Ham United at the London Stadium. In the 2026/27 Premier League season, Daniel Farke and his Leeds United side will be hoping to climb up the table with the hopes of a potential top half finish in the league, with the squad being improved over the summer window. In the opposition dugout – Scott Gardner Scott Gardner, who is the current Head Coach of the Leeds United Under 21s side, has been in charge of the side, at first temporarily in November 2023 after Michael Skubala, now Bristol City boss, left for the managerial post at Lincoln City. Gardner then became Leeds United Under 21s manager full time in November 2024, with Stewart Downing joining the club as his assistant manager. Gardner had a short career as a player that spanned four years between 2006 and 2010. During this period, he represented the likes of the aforementioned Leeds United (2006 - 2009), Farsley Celtic (Loan, 2008), Mansfield Town (2009 - 2010), and finally Eastwood Town (Loan, 2010). Key Player – Carrick Njinko Forward Carrick Njinko is perhaps the standout player for Leeds United’s Under 21s side so far this season, with him being their leading goal scorer in all competitions to date with as many as four goals to is name so far, scoring a hat-trick against West Brom at Thorpe Arch Grange. Njinko has been at the club for his entire playing career to date. Opposition Overview written by Adam Holt

Solihull Moors are delighted to announce the signing of experienced midfielder Ryan Woods on loan from Oldham Athletic until 5th December. The 32-year-old arrives at Damson Park with more than 500 senior appearances to his name across the English Football League, including extensive experience in the Championship. Known for his composure in possession, passing range and ability to dictate play from midfield, Woods will add further quality and experience to Chris Millington’s squad. A product of the Shrewsbury Town Academy, Woods made his senior debut in 2012 and went on to make more than 100 appearances for the Shrews before earning a move to Brentford in 2015. He quickly established himself as an important part of the Bees’ midfield, making 128 appearances and scoring three goals during a successful three-year spell at Griffin Park. Woods joined Stoke City in 2018, initially on loan before completing a permanent move. He later gained further Championship experience during spells with Millwall, Birmingham City and Hull City. Loan moves to Bristol Rovers and Exeter City followed before Woods joined the Grecians permanently in 2024. He made 37 League One appearances during the 2024/25 campaign, contributing two goals and two assists, before moving to Oldham Athletic in July 2025. Speaking about Woods’ arrival, Moors first team manager Chris Millington said: “Ryan’s experience and quality will be a valuable addition to the group. “He is composed on the ball, possesses an excellent passing range and has the ability to control the tempo of a game from midfield. “To have made more than 450 senior appearances across the EFL demonstrates the consistency he has shown throughout his career. We’re delighted to bring him to the Club and look forward to working with him during his time with us.” Welcome to the Moors, Ryan! 💛💙 The deal is subject to the relevant league and FA clearances.

TICKETS Season Tickets Season tickets are NOT valid for this fixture. All tickets are free and can be claimed here . Opening times and turnstile access The car park will open at 5pm The box office for ticket collection will be open from 5:30pm The turnstiles will be open from 5:30pm for home and away supporters to gain entry into the stadium. When you purchase a match ticket, you must sit or stand in the area where you bought your ticket. The Main Bar will be open at 5:30pm. Hospitality/Executive Boxes Hospitality doors for this fixture will open at 5:30pm. Junior Tickets 16-year-olds and under must be accompanied by a full-paying adult on the day of the match; otherwise, U16 ticket holders may be refused entry to the venue: turning up to the match without a full-paying adult is a safeguarding issue. All supporters wishing to purchase a ticket in one of these age categories must register for the Club’s free Young Supporters Membership Scheme. SAFEGUARDING RE ADMISSION: Note for reference, those supporters aged 15 and under MUST be accompanied by an adult to enter the ground, i.e. the individual must be 16 or over. Matchday Entry Supporters must present their valid membership card when entering Damson Park using a young supporter ticket. Under-12s and ages 12–15 must enter through Turnstiles 1 or 2 alongside their parent or guardian. Supporters aged 16–24 must enter through Turnstile 3. Under-16s must attend with a responsible adult (at a ratio of 2 children per one adult) and will not be permitted to enter the stadium unaccompanied. Any more than two children per one adult, please email ticketing@solihullmoorsfc.co.uk in advance to organise this request. To find out more about the admission & Young Supporters Membership: https://www.solihullmoorsfc.co.uk/solihull-moors-reduces-matchday-ticket-prices-for-young-supporters REFRESHMENTS Supporters can purchase alcohol and refreshments from the Main Bar, There will be food available at: Hot Food Bar in the old reception Terry's Burger Van GETTING HERE PARKING The Car Park is open from 5:pm Please do not park on the Damson Parkway dual carriageway – this is a red route and parking here is strictly prohibited. Supporters will receive tickets for parking illegally, so we stress the importance of utilising the NCP Car Park and planning your journey well in advance. If fans forget to pay before leaving, they will still be able to pay via Post Pay within 24 hours of exiting the car park however this will charge them the original tariff. Failure to pay will result in a Parking Charge. To learn more, including tariffs and PostPay, please visit: https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/parking/freeport-car-park . Any Fans using the Car park can use the code ‘MOORS26’ to receive the discounted Rate of £6 for up to 5 hours. This Code will need to be used on the Pay Machine near the exit of the Car Park. Any supporters' coaches must drop fans off at the NCP parking point, as the Damson Parkway dual carriageway is a red route. It is at the coach driver’s discretion to drop supporters off on the red route; supporters must then walk from the NCP Car Park to the stadium. Travel by Bus The X12 bus runs to the ground every 15/20 minutes from Solihull Town Centre, the NCP and Birmingham International. In night matches, this increases to every 30 minutes. Click here to view the X12 bus route, stops and full timetable . Travel by Train Solihull Railway Station is served by trains from Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone. The ground is situated two and a half miles away from the station in a roughly north-easterly direction. Birmingham International Station is roughly one and a half miles from the ground and is on the Euston to Birmingham New Street line. Programme The programme can be downloaded here. Kick It Out You can report an incident of discrimination via the Kick It Out App, which can be used on iPhone and Android devices. Phone – 0800 169 9414 Twitter - @kickitout , or by contacting the organisation’s Reporting Officers on @kickitoutreport. Solihull Moors Supporters Association Click here to find out more about the Solihull Moors Supporters Association.

Introduction Solihull head to the north-east on Saturday for a clash with Gateshead at the Gateshead International Stadium. Both sides head into this off the back of defeats, with the Moors falling to a 3-1 home defeat to Fylde, and Gateshead losing 2-1 away to Harrogate. Andy’s Bet Club are on hand to preview all of our games for the 2026/27 season. Their site is packed with free football tips that are updated daily with expert insight. Match Preview Solihull Moors travel to Gateshead on the back of a 3-1 defeat to Fylde on Monday, while the hosts lost 2-1 at Harrogate. Both sides sit in the bottom four of the National League after five rounds, still searching for their first real run of form. The Moors have scored five goals and conceded sixteen so far this season, against four scored and eight conceded for Gateshead. Solihull Moors Form Guide Chris Millington’s Solihull are still searching for their first points of the National League season. One positive is their attacking output, with an xG of 10.39 and five goals scored, indicating Solihull are creating plenty of chances just failing to put them away. Jacob Wakeling has been a consistent attacking threat for the Moors, having taken 22 shots this season, ten of them on target, for an xG total of 4.67. Wakeling has scored four of Solihull Moors' five league goals to date. Where Solihull will need to tighten up is at the back, having shipped 16 goals with an xGA of 11.46. That being said, the underlying attacking numbers indicate positives are there going forward for the Moors heading into Saturday’s clash. Gateshead Form Guide Gateshead themselves are coming off a loss, falling to a 2-1 defeat to Harrogate on Monday. Despite the loss, Gateshead fans could celebrate their goalkeeper Peter Jameson scoring from his own box in emphatic style just after half-time. Their one win of the campaign came 2-0 against Woking on Matchday 2. They have scored four times this season from an xG of 3.62, meaning they are struggling to create chances going forward. Defensively, they have conceded eight goals against an xGA of 9.41, showing that defending has held up better than the shot count against them might suggest. Tactical Insight The most interesting battle should be Jacob Wakeling against the pairing of Kyle Ferguson and Alex Lankshear at the heart of Gateshead's defence. Gateshead have a PPDA (passes per defensive action) of 10.95 this season, meaning they have made a defensive action for roughly every eleven opposition passes in the pressing zones, a sign they engage fairly high up rather than sitting off. Jacob Wakeling's volume of shots gives the visitors their clearest route to goal. Conclusion Solihull create enough through Wakeling to trouble most defences, while Gateshead defend competitively without regularly turning their own chances into goals. Chris Millington’s side have clearly been creating chances, and will see this as a good chance to kick off a positive run of form. Visit Andy’s Bet Club for daily free betting tips as well as stats and tips from all upcoming football fixtures.

A disappointing August has came and went, with Chris Millington’s side hopeful of turning a poor month into motivation for Saturday’s trip to Gateshead. The Moors lost all six of their opening matches in August, the first time they’d managed such frustration since March-April 2017, sitting bottom of the National League table. However, the club have since saw the closure of the EFL transfer window – meaning none of the squad (including top-scorer Jacob Wakeling) would be departing. Saturday 3pm matches are back for Solihull this weekend, and here’s hoping we can celebrate it with our first three points of the campaign. Ahead of Saturday’s kick-off, here is everything you need to know… An overview of Gateshead FC: The Moors face a trip to Gateshead this weekend, with both teams currently finding themselves in the relegation zone – with a combined three points and 24 goals conceded. Gateshead narrowly avoided relegation from the National League last season after pulling off their version of a ‘great escape’ under former manager Rob Elliot. The club have also lost several key players including Keaton Ward, Kenton Richardson and former Moors defender Brad Nicholson. After losing their opening game against Eastleigh, Saturday’s opponents beat Woking 2-0 but have since failed to win any of their four matches – including a defeat to Harrogate Town, despite goalkeeper Pete Jameson scoring. Jameson ironically is the club’s joint-top scorer this season. Head-to-head: The last 15 matches between the two teams have provided an almost equal balance of results. Going back to March, Gateshead won the clash 2-1 on route to securing their survival, following Ben Radcliffe’s late winner from close range. Last season also saw the Moors come out victorious during our last trip to the Gateshead International Stadium, with Brad Stevenson & Jacob Wakeling scoring in a 2-0 win. Famously, Gateshead beat the club on penalties in the FA Trophy final at Wembley – ensuring that there is some continued rivalry between the two teams. Tickets: Tickets for Saturday’s clash against Gateshead are available now via the hosts website. The prices are as follows; Adults (22-64): £22.00 Concessions (65+): £17.00 Young Adult (17-21): £12.00 Kids (14-16) £7.00 Under 14s: £0.00 Reminder that children U14 need to be accompanied by an adult as per National League stadium regulations. Getting to the Stadium: The Gateshead International Stadium is located on Neilson Road (NE10 0EF). Seating on the official supporters coach is still available via the Solihull Moors website. If you are travelling by train, the closest station is Manors – located roughly 2.1 miles (seven minutes by car / 43 minute walk) from the stadium. There is a local 94 bus service that runs to the stadium, though supporters must check the local timetables for timings and ticket details. In the dugout – Lee Cattermole: The man in the hot seat for the Heed this weekend is former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole, in what will be the 38-year-old’s seventh match in charge, following his arrival in the summer. Since retiring, Cattermole has had coaching stints with Burnley’s U18s, Bristol Rovers and Middlesbrough’s U18s – but his move to Gateshead is his first taste of managerial experience within a first-team environment. So far, the 38-year-old has managed to establish a points per game rate of just 0.60. We hope to see as many of you as possible in the North East ahead of Saturday’s clash with Gateshead. COYM 🟡🔵

Match Tickets can be purchased here Away Supporter coach tickets run by the SMSA can be purchased here Entry is via turnstiles one and two, which will be open from 1:30pm. Parking is available on site at the stadium as the car park is open publicly with the stadium also open to the general public on match days, but this will be busy so parking isn’t guaranteed.