STEVENS LEAVES ‘EM SHAKIN’!
ABUMPER crowd of over 2,000 – plus three Irish popstars – saw a classy Solihull Moors suck the life out of Andy Preece’s Chorley to breeze into the quarter-finals of the Isuzu FA Trophy.
Two goals from Jack Stevens and a first of the season for Joe Sbarra – all in the first half – all but killed the tie as a contest, deeming Mark Ellis’ stoppage-time reply as mere consolation.
“We’re really pleased,” said Moors boss Andy Whing. “I thought we were excellent, particularly in that opening 45 – clinical on the break and, of course, the early goal helps.
“Having such a fast start in front of a bumper crowd kind of kills them a bit.
“Chorley gave it a real good go in the second half. Obviously being three goals in front caused our levels to drop a bit but all in all, I’m really really pleased.”
For all the expectancy, yhe Magpies were dealt a hammer blow inside two minutes – new recruit Tyrese Shade dinking the ball over keeper Owen Foster, the ball hitting the crossbar and falling kindly into the path of Stevens to tap home the opening goal.
Chorley looked to react with Ollie Shenton firing wide and Solihull keeper Nick Hayes saving well to deny Jack Hazlehurst and then Ellis, brilliantly tipping his header onto the post to safety.
But on 27 minutes, it was Solihull who struck next – Sbarra picking out the far corner with a well-placed effort after getting himself into a pocket of space inside the box.
And Solihull effectively ended the contest just before the break and grabbed their third goal – Stevens bagging his second after getting on the end of a loose ball and finding the far corner, leaving Foster with no chance.
Solihull were in cruise control in the second and they should have made if four when Joss Labadie somehow fired over from close range following a corner.
To their credit, Chorley kept plugging away with Ellis again going close, while Sbarra’s clever chip at the other end threatened a fourth goal.
Sixteen-year old Noel Brindle came on as a late substiute for the Magpies for his first senior appearance for the club and almost made the stadium come alive with a rippling effort from distance which forced Hayes to palm away for a corner at full stretch.
And it was no more than Chorley’s second-half persistence deserved when Ellis found the net in the final minute of additional time, heading in from point blank range.
Boss Preece said: “The start has killed us really, the first 15-20 minutes we wanted to get them on the back foot and get the crowd going but the tiniest of mistakes has cost us.
“They were so clinical and from there we’ve had a good go but to their credit they were really ruthless. The reaction after the break, however, was a big positive.”
STAR MAN: Jack Stevens (Solihull) ATT: 2,087 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: James Oldham