CLARKE IS DESTROYER IN CHIEF FOR MOORS

JAMES CLARKE netted his first goal in nearly two years as Solihull Moors overcame struggling Woking for just a sixth home win of the campaign.

The defender headed home just before the break, with second-half goals from Callum Maycock and Mark Beck making sure of the three points.

And while the Cards had plenty of chances to earn new boss Michael Doyle his first win in charge, his opposite number Andy Whing was left purring with his side’s display.

“We did rush a bit in the final third but then the goal settled us down a bit,” said Whing, with Moors now just six points behind Barnet in third.

“In the past we have sat back and let teams come onto us a bit, so instead we tried to be aggressive and go for that second and third goal.

“We are in a fantastic place in the league, so why not go and have a good go.

“We are always better on the front foot, then we got the second and were creating chances at will.”

It could have been a different story had Woking taken one of their big chances, with Padraig Amond squandering the first inside 60 seconds when he struck the foot of the post.

After surviving that scare, Moors gradually grew into the game and nearly went ahead themselves on 32 minutes when Clarke saw his powerful drive headed away by Scott Cuthbert.

Minutes later, though he would not be denied, running free and glancing home Jamey Osborne’s corner at the near post to open the scoring.

Solihull wasted little time in adding a second, Maycock volleying home from near the penalty spot after Beck had flicked on Osborne’s 48th-minute throw-in.

Woking keeper Alexis Andre Jr – who perhaps should have done better with the second goal – atoned for his error a minute later as he superbly denied Josh Kelly as the Solihull top scorer raced clean through.

Clarke was needed at the other end to clear Amond’s strike off the line, as the visitors looked for a route back into the game.

But Beck stamped out any chance of Solihull throwing away a second 2-0 lead in as many games when he hammered the ball in off the post from the edge of the box midway through the second period.

The result leaves the fifth-bottom Cards with just one win in ten and boss Doyle demanding more from his players.

“I want to see more from everybody, staff and players,” he said.

“We need to show a lot more character because unfortunately for us, we will be in this situation again.

“We are where we are, we have got 19 games left and we need to win so many to make sure we stay in this division.

“We need to show a lot more character and fight than we have shown today.” STAR MAN: James Clarke (Solihull) ATT: 1,243 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Abigail Byrne