Hessenthaler fumes at lax defending MOORS PUNISH SLOPPY HOSTS
EASTLEIGH boss Andy Hessenthaler described his side’s defending as ‘criminal’ as Solihull came from behind late on to snatch a remarkable 2-1 victory.
The defensive woes of last season - when the Spitfires had the worst goals against record of any team outside the drop zone returned to haunt them after taking a 76th-minute lead from the penalty spot.
Within two minutes of Adi Yussef having given away the spot-kick after wrestling Oscar Gobern to the floor in front of referee Chris Pollard, which Paul McCallum converted, the 25-yearold had swivelled to equalise from close range.
And in the 82nd minute, debutant Dan Sweeney - who had only come on shortly after Eastleigh had scored - latched onto a lovely Jamie Osborne pass to round Graham Stack and roll home the winner.
Eastleigh had dominated the first half but found debutant goalkeeper Ryan Boot in truly inspired form.
Hessenthaler said: “I'm very frustrated. We absolutely murdered them in the first half. I was stood in the dug-out thinking: ‘I hope it's not going to be one of those days’, but it was.
“To give away the two goals we did was criminal. We talked about our defending for much of last season and it has happened again.”
The brand new season was only 37 seconds old when debutant Boot tipped a deflected effort from Josh Hare over for a corner.
He did exactly the same from the subsequent set piece before pulling off three more great stops just after the hour mark.
First, he got a touch to a low Hare shot which rebounded off the inside of the post before stopping powerful headers from McCallum and Alex Wynter.
Former England, Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Tim Flowers, taking charge of Solihull for the first time in a competitive game, saw his pre-match plans disrupted with two injuries inside the opening 27 minutes.
Striker Kwame Thomas required lengthy treatment for a head injury before being replaced, while centre-half Alex Gudger limped off less than half an hour into his Moors debut. The second-half started with Boot making another flying save from a McCallum header before the game entered a long lull only ended by the late flurry of goals. Flowers admitted that his side had rode their luck at times during the game and that it was all hands to the pumps during the first 45 minutes.
But he was right to say that his side started to grow into the encounter as Eastleigh began to fade as an attacking force later in the second half - and the Moors grabbed two late goals.
“Their wing backs (Hare and Michael Green) were allowed to get in too many crosses,” he explained.
“But what I saw was our defenders heading clear and the keeper making great saves.
“We showed some real courage and strength, so full credit to the boys for their character.”
STAR MAN: Ryan Boot (Solihull Moors) ATT: 1,354 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Chris Pollard