Careful What You Say

Solihull Moors 0-3 Boston United (National League)

Just two rounds remain until the end of the National League season and both Solihull Moors and Boston United have very little to play for, the battle for thirteenth is about as exciting as it gets so I’m looking forward to a hassle free game of little incident ahead of getting back home and attending a friends swanky engagement party later this evening.

Solihull have drawn their last two games nil nil but before that they thumped promotion candidates Boreham Wood 4-1, whilst Boston are also unbeaten in three, they secured survival with a 1-1 draw at Brackley and have beaten Truro and drew with Wealdstone in their most recent match ahead of today.

It’s the Pilgrims last away day of the season so I’m expecting fancy dress, a short 50-minute drive down the M42 from Nottingham as I head down towards Birmingham Airport and onto the Damson Parkway which is literally at the end of the runway. It’s the home of Jaguar Land Rover in these parts and is full of massive industrial units nearby, a national home of motorcar manufacturing I do notice a nationalist touch on the A45 Coventry Road as several Union Jack and St George flags wave in the wind attached to lampposts. These often divide opinion but in England, in Britain, flying the English and British flag should I think be done so proudly, and I’m glad the theme of recent months has stuck, to provide a little bit of National good feeling.

I’m feeling good myself, as I park my car in a little housing estate nearby, a short walk on a bright but cool day across the road to the ground has me nice and early, I’m even here ahead of the Boston United players and I’m straight to the ticket office to see if my name is written down.

The Venue

No surprise the bosses have forgotten to ask for my accreditation today but I’m in luck as a nice lady behind the window gives me a blue wristband and tells me to walk straight through.

It’s a nice little ground is Damson Park, it feels like it is the middle of nowhere but it’s right on the edge of town, a large metal stand with boxes above the seated area runs the length of the pitch, two ends are these days both covered, the opposite flank is open aired with the sort of temporary looking seating that you would see at a Golf major event.

I’m walking to my pew as Boston defender Jamie Grimes at the side of the pitch gets tips off his Manager Paul Hurst that he’ll be playing in a three today, the rest of the players arriving in numbers behind me as I walk to the toilet in the club bar, after asking a steward just where to go?

I’m quietly having a pee and get a knock on the door. “You’re in the ladies’ says a barmaid who has been sent in by the steward to tell me off. “I’m so sorry” I awkwardly reply back. I explain to all offended “my eyesight’s not great” and it’s all taken in jest.

Back in my seat and away from trouble I’ve got a good view of the pitch in front, if obscured slightly by the tunnel which gets wound back fully when play does start, a little tip if you are to the left of the tunnel and want to make a quick exit post match, I would suggest that you make a move early and leave well before the whistle.

The Game

Those fans of Boston have came in fancy dress as I spot Mario and Luigi, a few builders in hi vis, a Pikachu a cowboy and a few bananas, there’s a good 300 plus of them in attendance, they have been well backed all season long when away from home.

The action starts after a couple of local drummers ramp up the atmosphere with a brilliant walk out tribute which has me thinking I might be at an Indian music festival, the pre match is much better than the game itself as it goes pretty much to plan, neither side committing, Boston happy to keep it between their back five before going long and giving it to Solihull, who do the same, passing between themselves and running out of ideas in the final third.

The hosts are 4-2-3-1 with Alex Whitmore playing his last home game for the club at centre half, he announced he’ll be leaving in the summer after three successful seasons, in midfield the engine room is decent, Scott High and Jamey Osborne have quality and work rate, but up front whilst Ben Worman gets on the ball in the ten role, their isolated attacker Callum McFarlane is often on the periphery.

Boston play a sort of 3-5-1-1 which allows full backs Matty Carson and Marcel Lavinier to get forward, Lavinier at one stage runs fifty yards forward with nobody near him as Lenell John-Lewis in attack gets very little support, the first half is about as boring as it gets, with very little happening, two shots wide by Luca Barrington, one attempt wide from McFarlane, a couple of corners each, everyone is relieved when the one extra minute is played out and the half time whistle is blown.

The Score

At last, the fun starts. There’s a penguin in the crowd and he’s been asked to go onto the field of play and participate in a bit of half time target practice, Solihull staff lay a target on the halfway line and players from the eighteen-yard line must kick the ball closest to the pin.

The penguin wins, the Boston fans are singing his name as the PA announcer who’s also playing is fuming with himself, “I’ve been beaten by a penguin” he moans.

I’m looking forward to a routine half of non-eventful football, I need to be back home for 6pm and I’ve chosen this game as one of the shortest distances from my home in commute, there’s three subs made by Solihull at the break, as they change formation slightly to match Boston’s five man midfield, as Emmanuel Sonupe parks himself in front of me, smelling fresh, showered after his forty-five minutes where I thought he did ok, perhaps his Manager Chris Millington just wanted to mix things up, and liven his attack a little, but as we plod to the hour mark and beyond, very little improves, as I count down the clock to home time and a few highly anticipated beers tonight.

A foul on half way by substitute Conor Wilkinson on Connor Teale results in something being said. The referee on the far side issues Wilkinson with a red card, and suddenly the players start walking off, the Referee who is Asian seems to have heard a racist remark, but it’s like Chinese whispers here, the players come off down the tunnel besides me, “What’s happening” says Emmanuel Sonupe who’s sitting in front of me. “He called him a faggot” is the rumour that returns, “he didn’t say faggot, he said fat git” is what Wilkinson was supposed to have relayed.

There’s murmurs that it might even be racist but both teams head down the tunnel and I’m thinking this delay isn’t good for my night out.. It’s all a bit of a mess as the players talk the Referee out of abandonment, and after twenty minutes or so of nobody knowing nothing, the players come out to warm up again, and resume the final 25 minutes a good half an hour behind the rest of the countries 3pm kick offs.

A man down, suddenly this suits Boston who prior to the pandemonium brought on Frankie Maguire and Jacob Hazel to enhance their attacking threat.

I’m still on the phone trying to sync my app with the stadium clock as Jacob Hazel strikes, a deflected effort, I think, for the opener. I didn’t see it, but rumour is it went in off Lewis Baines.

The game bursts into life as Boston push on for more, a right wing cross by Lavinier is swung and swivelled home by Hazel for a second, the striker has been out for most of the season with injury, but scored in the last game at Wealdstone, and he adds to the tally, this one is certainly his.

Suddenly Frankie Maguire is through, he nets brilliantly to make it three, but the offside flag is very late issued pretty much as the players have finished celebrating, as I’m trying to work out how to chalk the goal off, Frankie Maguire is through, he nets brilliantly to make it three, this time it counts, its all happening all of a sudden, football, when you least expect it, will always surprise you.

As the time ticks and Boston run away with a game that probably for long parts looked like a meaningless stalemate, I’m planning my exit strategy ahead of the tunnel being pulled forward on the whistle, a quick march for the exit, I’ve seen enough, time for a Saturday night on the town.

The Stars

Frankie Maguire and Jacob Hazel came on and made the difference, I think in Maguire, Boston have a number ten, a number eight, a number six, a wide player who can boss the game centrally, he’s everything and everywhere, and has improved in every game I have watched him since signing from Chorley.

I’ll be very surprised if they manage to keep Maguire at the club, he’s certainly destined now for bigger and better things and I hope he gets a shot at league football before long.

Replacing him, might be Luca Barrington, who has been seen as Paul Hurst’s contingency plan, he played in the first half, given that free roaming role usually occupied by Maguire, and although he didn’t really get involved enough, did have moments of magical footwork.

I like Barrington and I think with a good pre-season he can be even better, another player worth mentioning is Oisin Gallagher, a Lincoln City loanee, watch out for him, in the Championship? Perhaps?

For Solihull, not a day to remember but I thought their midfield duo of Osborne and High did ok, in Ben Worman they have a talented footballer who links their midfield and attack, in Jacob Wakeling they have a similar technical forward thinking footballer who's neat, on their books, whilst Isaac Moore on loan from Coventry City is something special, he wasn’t on the pitch for long but provided power and persistence in his short cameo in midfield.

The Verdict

A game that trudged along in typical end of season fashion, until something said, right, or wrong, the players removed from the pitch, was it all a little too much? I suspect, only the Referee and his officials, really know the answer to that.

Whilst there should certainly be no room for racism, or sexism, or foodism, or fatism, or any other ism, I worry that speech alone should not be concern for abandoning a game of football, we must toughen up society, take a stance yes, but walking off and taking my ball with me, stinks of spoilt brat, and I think football, should be better than that.

It wasn't dirty, it wasn't nasty, it almost felt like it was about a point being made, and whilst protocol might protect officials to do the right thing, getting the game done, is usually best case scenario, for everyone involved.

The Teams

Solihull Moors: Laurie Walker, Tyler French, Alex Whitmore, Lewis Baines, Cameron Green, Scott High, Jamey Osborne (Isaac Moore 71), Emmanuel Sonupe (Josh Wakeling 46), Ben Worman (Daniel Cox 46), Joe Sbarra (Tobi Sho-Silva 71), Callum McFarlane (Conor Wilkinson 46).

Boston United: Louis Chadwick, Connor Teale (Tom Cursons 86), Jake Rooney, Jamie Grimes, Matty Carson, Jordan Richards, Marcel Lavinier, Oisin Gallagher, Dylan Hill, Luca Barrington (Frankie Maguire 61), Lenell John-Lewis (Jacob Hazel 61).

3pm Kick Off. Saturday 18th April 2026, Damson Park, Solihull (att 1,431).