It was an evening to forget for the Fleet as Solihull loanee Tyrese Shade fired two past the reds and the play-off chasers sealed it with skipper Jamey Osborne smashing a third home late on.
There was just the one change for the visitors as Greg Cundle came in for Bryant Bilongo and Omari Sterling-James was named on the bench against his former club.
Tavhon Campbell was shown a yellow card within five minutes for diving after Mark Cousins left his area to claim the ball but it would be Campbell who would knock on the door and should really have netted the opener. A pass along the edge of the area from Nana Boateng picked out Campbell but he steered his effort wide.
Half-chances from a couple of corners came Fleet’s way in a steady opening period but there was little to promise a goal for the travelling fans.
It wasn’t the most exciting of opening 20 minutes but the deadlock was broken with a low strike from Shade who took his shot on the run from the edge of the box.
The hosts found another gear and came close to doubling their advantage five minutes later through Campbell once again but with only Cousins to beat 12 yards out, he dragged his effort wide.
A misplaced pass from Declan Skura in the final third then allowed Joe Sbarra to latch on to the ball and loop a shot over the head of Cousins but that only managed to find the side netting. The Fleet drove the ball up the other end, with Cundle making the run. He dispatched a pass to Chapman before he was dispossessed. He regained control of the ball but his first-time volley was scuffed wide.
There were seven minutes of added time after an injury to goalkeeper Nick Hayes required lengthy treatment and it was the Fleet’s most promising spell. Cundle attacked down the left flank, whipping a ball into the area. A flurry of chances allowed both Rakish Bingham and Josh Wright to unleash shots, with Chapman assisting along the way, but the last chance saw Wright fire well over.
A slow-paced start to the second-half saw Fleet create further half-chances but nothing that really threatened Hayes. The Moors slowly upped their game and on 62 minutes Cousins was forced into action, tipping Boateng’s shot to deny the hosts a second.
While Solihull were worth a second, it was a somewhat lucky effort that finally produced it. A shot from outside of the area from skipper Osborne took a big deflection which left Cousins stranded and the ball floated past him.
Wright drilled a shot wide of the post from 15 yards with a quarter of an hour remaining and Edser also found the space and opportunity to take a shot on but his effort was over.
Solihull confirmed the three points in the 86th minute when Shade grabbed his second of the evening. A superb effort from a tight angle at the the corner of the box was driven into the roof of the net to all but confirm the home side’s play-off qualification.
EUFC: Cousins, Kenlock, Fogarty, Skura, Wright, Clifford (Domi 66), Chapman (Sterling-James 76), Cundle, Edser, Bingham, Poleon (Tanner 66). Subs: McQueen, Bilongo
SMFC: Hayes, Clarke, Newton, Osborne, Sbarra, Maycock (Labadie 85), Shade, Benn, Campbell (Beck 78), Boateng (Benton 68), Whitmore. Subs: Mafuta, Taylor
Attendance: 1,053 (87 EUFC)
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