Solihull Moors won't score two better goals all season but were unable to make two 'worldies' count as Derby County ended up as 4-2 winners of a terrific pre-season game this evening at Damson Park.

Dan Creaney and Cameron Green both smashed home thunderous goals in the first half but strikes from Ebou Adams, Danny Baath, Corey Blackett-Taylor and another excellent goal from Charles Ebuka eventually gave the Championship side a win that was less comfortable than the final scoreline suggests.

Sam Bowen, growing sharper by the game, forced an excellent save from Rams’ keeper Jacob Zetterstrom inside the first five minutes to set the tone for an open, fast-paced encounter.in which there was a welcome return for Conor Wilkinson up front. However that lasted for only seven minutes before the forward went off for stitches after a clash of heads when he challenged bravely for a cross. Replacement Creaney, however, quickly got rid of any grey clouds by winning Goal of the Season before it’s even started.

With 15 minutes on the clock Oscar Rutherford swung a cross in from the right flank and Creaney confidently decided to volley it at goal despite being 20 yards out. The strike was perfect and Zetterstrom could do absolutely nothing about it as the ball arrowed across him and into the top corner for a truly spectacular strike.

The Championship side didn’t take too long to respond and on 24 minutes were level when Adams bravely headed the equaliser past the helpless Laurie Walker but let’s not talk about that, let’s focus instead on Green’s magnificent strike to make it 2-1. Five yards further out than Creaney, but with the ball this time on the deck, the left-back let fly with a superb strike that followed the same trajectory as the earlier strike and would have had everyone taking if they weren’t already buzzing from the first goal!

The powerful Blackett-Taylor had a chance to level before the break as he raced clear but fired over and new arrival Carlton Morris sliced wide of an open goal after 42 highly-entertaining minutes while Liam Thompson’s goalbound effort was flicked over the bar by the shoulder of James Clarke before Derby made it 2-2 right on the break with a header from Batth from the resulting corner.

After 56 minutes the Rams were ahead when Blackett-Taylor sent Walker the wrong way from the spot and Ebuka then settled the contest by making it 4-2 as he raced through the home defence and clipped the ball over the advancing Walker to make it 4-2

However, with Jamey Osborne making a cameo from the bench for the final half hour and Finn Howell returning for the last ten minutes there were plenty of positives for the Moors who now move on to play Kidderminster Harriers at Aggborough on Saturday in their final pre-season game of the summer.

MOORS
Walker, Clarke, Green, Whitmore, Bowen (Lipsiuc 53), Wilkinson (Creaney 10), Worman, Tipton (Osborne 60), McFarlane, Rutherford, French (Howell 79)

SUBS
Quinn

Att:1,443 including 770 away.

Report by Chris Williams, pictures Tom King