Adam Murray’s men travel to the Midlands in search of their first win since overcoming Kidderminster Harriers back in August.
Solihull are flying high towards the top of the National League and will provide a stern test for the Coasters, and we cast an eye on the hosts ahead of kick-off.
The Lowdown
The Coasters travel to the Midlands in search of their first win in over a month. A 2-1 defeat last time out to Eastleigh FC was not what the Coasters deserved for their efforts – however, after a first-half red card to Alex Whitmore, the Coasters were fighting an uphill battle to get a result.
The Moors managed to keep their unbeaten run going with a 1-0 win away at Kidderminster in front of TNT cameras.
A solo Matty Warburton goal was the difference between the two sides, with some resolute defending on show and an impressive performance by former Coasters loanee Tommy Simkin in goal.
The Moors will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to 10 matches as the Coasters will look for some kind of a result to turn their form around.
The Manager: Andy Whing
Whing, born in the Midlands, came through as a homegrown talent at Coventry City. Traditionally a right back, Whing certainly made an impression and forced his way into the first team from an early age. Making his debut at the age of 19, Whing took the Coventry first team by storm, and in his first full season, he made 31 appearances, which was then rewarded with a four-year contract for the then youngster.
In the 2004-05 season, Whing wrote himself into Coventry folklore by scoring the final goal at the iconic Highfield Road stadium and went on to make over one hundred appearances for the Sky Blues. On the announcement of his release after the 2006-07 season, Whing gave a farewell lap of honour.
He then moved down south to Brighton & Hove Albion, a place where he had already spent time on loan. In his second full permanent season at the Seagulls, Whing managed to gain himself the Player of the Year award for his solid performances in the 2008-09 season.
Despite not achieving much success during his time at Brighton, he did achieve the goal of keeping them up, which was quite a challenge at the time. However, when Gus Poyet took charge, Whing’s minutes became limited and he found himself out the door. Loan spells at Chesterfield and Leyton Orient saw his time at Brighton come to an end.
Eventually, his contract with Brighton was cancelled by mutual consent mid-season, and he joined Leyton Orient on a permanent deal after making over 100 appearances for Brighton. In his short spell with the O’s, Whing was part of the team which went one of Orient’s best FA Cup runs ever, eventually losing 5-0 in a replay against Arsenal.
However, at the end of the 2010-11 season, Whing moved to Oxford, which turned out to be his last ever move. In his first season, he managed to earn the Supporters’ Club Player of the Year award despite a difficult start. Whing managed to make 102 appearances over a four-year spell plagued with injuries, leading him to calling time on his playing career before hinting at a move to the touchline.
It was in 2020 when Whing moved to the touchline of Men’s football, taking charge of Southern Premier Central side Banbury United. Whing linked up with former teammate James Constable, who became his assistant.
His first season at Banbury was disrupted by Covid. However, in his first full season in men’s management, Whing did the best thing possible in delivering a title to Banbury and sending them to the National League North for the first time.
In Banbury’s first time at the level, they started like a house on fire – however, the form quickly wore off, but they comfortably survived, defying everyone’s expectations.
At the end of the 2022/23 season, Whing decided to make the step up to the National League and currently remains unbeaten with his new side Solihull Moors.
Key Players
Kyle Morrison – Ex-Coaster Kyle has found himself as a regular with his new side, becoming somewhat of a rock at the back. Strong in the tackle and in the air, Kyle can be seen as one of the most underrated Centre-backs in the league.
Agile in a sprint and a player who gives everything, Kyle will be hard to beat. Winning two promotions last season, Kyle is no stranger to success and could be a key part of a potential title push for the Moors.
Jamey Osborne – A key player in the middle of the park who was made captain by Whing in the summer. Osborne is a key part of any team and a born winner, who was part of a Hednesford Town side that beat the Coasters 3-3 in the playoffs in the 2012-13 season.
Osborne joined Solihull in 2016, and despite spells elsewhere, Osborne has racked up nearly 200 appearances for the Moors. A tough tackler with an eye for a pass, Osborne is a key player in making the Moors tick over.
Mark Beck – The tall centre forward is bound to cause trouble for the Coasters if selected on Tuesday night.
The Former Darlington man is more than just a target man up front. Beck is useful with his feet and not too dissimilar to Eastleigh striker Scott Quigley, who impressed against the Coasters last time out.
Previous Meetings
6th October 2012 – AFC Fylde 4-1 Solihull Moors – FA Cup
Goalscorers: Fylde – Joe Booth, Micheal Barnes (x2) & Ritchie Allen
10th November 2012 – Solihull Moors 2-1 AFC Fylde – FA Trophy
13th January 2015 – Solihull Moors 0-1 AFC Fylde – National League North
Goalscorer: Fylde – Casper Hughes
11th April 2015 – AFC Fylde 2-2 Solihull Moors – National League North
Goalscorers: Fylde – Danny Rowe & Ritchie Allen
Moors – Daryl Knights & Omar Bogle
8th August 2015 – Solihull Moors 3-0 AFC Fylde – National League North
Goalscorers: Moors – Stefan Moore (x2) & Tom Hannigan (OG)
19th December 2015 – AFC Fylde 1-2 Solihull Moors – National League North
Goalscorers: Fylde – Dion Charles
Moors – Stefan Moore & Daryl Knights
28th October 2017 – Solihull Moors 0-4 AFC Fylde – National League
Goalscorers: Fylde – Jonny Smith, Danny Rowe, Sam Finley & Jack Muldoon
21st April 2018 – AFC Fylde 1-1 Solihull Moors – National League
Goalscorers: Fylde – Andy Bond
Moors – Omari Sterling James
14th August 2018 – AFC Fylde 3-1 Solihull Moors – National League
Goalscorers: Fylde – Danny Rowe, Andy Bond & Gime Toure.
Moors – Luke Maxwell
26th January 2019 – Solihull Moors 1-2 AFC Fylde – National League
Goalscorers: Moors – Jamey Osborne
Fylde – Danny Rowe (x2)
4th May 2019 – Solihull Moors 0-1 AFC Fylde – National League Play-offs
Goalscorers: Fylde – Danny Philliskirk
16th November 2019 – Solihull Moors 3-1 AFC Fylde
Goalscorers: Moors – Daniel Wright, Paul Mccallum, Callum Howe
Fylde – Ryan Croasdale.
7th March 2020 – AFC Fylde 0-0 Solihull Moors – National League
18th December 2021 – AFC Fylde 0-1 Solihull Moors – FA Trophy
Goalscorers: Moors – Jamie Stott (OG)
Opposition Form
The Moors have started the season in the best possible way, still unbeaten after nine games. Conceding only eight goals, Moors have the second-best defence in the League, which contrasts with the Coasters having the worst defence in the League.
This solid backline was shown live in front of the nation when Moors weathered the Kidderminster second-half storm to travel back to the ARMCO Arena with a clean sheet and all three points.
Andy Whing has certainly got his team playing in a certain style that teams find hard to beat, and this will be arguably the toughest test so far for the Coasters, who will no doubt have to be at their best to get a result on Tuesday night.
Match Preview is written by Benji Jenkinson.
