ENTERPRISE NATIONAL LEAGUE. SATURDAY, 13th SEPTEMBER 2025.

Plum Draw at the Damson.

In contrast to the last few years when very few signings of note were made under the previous regime, Morecambe Football Club announced their latest acquisition last Tuesday. This is Jack Nolan. He is a 24–year-old winger who played against us last season for Gillingham, who released him at the end of the campaign.  In the past, Jack has also featured against us for Accrington Stanley.

28-year-old Welshman George Thomas then signed on Thursday. George has good experience at home and abroad as a midfielder with significant stints at Queens Park Rangers and Coventry City under his belt. Morecambe Manager Ashvir Singh Johal said of his latest acquisition and junior Welsh international:

“George is a player who is well experienced in the Championship and League One. I’m really pleased that he has chosen Morecambe as the next step in his career. He’s really going to add to the winning mentality of the group and he is someone who knows exactly what we expect from him on the pitch and he can be someone who can make a real difference.”

Then, just yesterday, another new member of the squad was announced. This is Lewis Payne, a 21-year-old Right Back and ex-Southampton Academy scholar who already has considerable experience playing on-loan at Eastleigh; Newport County and Cheltenham. Ash said he had signed him because

“He fits exactly how we’re looking to play. He is very aggressive, he defends on the front foot but with the ball he can really make a difference in the final third so we are really looking forward to working with Lewis.”

I have read on social media several posts recently which tell us all to be more positive in a situation where Morecambe as a club was facing extinction only a few weeks ago. I totally agree. I was personally convinced just  a month ago that we would fold altogether and was girding my loins to watch AFC Morecambe or whatever the existing club morphed into in the North West Counties League at Trimpell or possibly even in a park somewhere next year.

But we also need to be brutally honest with ourselves once this nightmare scenario was averted by Panjab Warriors – to whom we must be eternally thankful.

Last season, Derek Adams was left with the dregs of the football world to choose from when his pathetically small budget was very belatedly approved by the then owner and the EFL at a time when virtually any player worth signing was already employed elsewhere.

No wonder we were relegated at the end of the day.

This time around – for a very welcome change – money seems to be no object.  

But the signings Ash has been able to achieve so far have been at a point even later into the season than King Derek faced just over a year ago.

We need to remember this. Nearly all of the players our new manager has attracted to the club have points to prove. They have a perfect platform at Morecambe to re-launch often stymied careers. I personally hope – and actually believe – that at least some of them will do so and the Shrimps’ current position in the National League will prove to be a false one.

Today, however, bottom-of-the-table Morecambe travelled to the West Midlands to face reality in the shape of Solihull Moors.

This is what I wrote about the club from Brum in my National League piece on this site earlier in the summer:

Solihull can be found about nine miles south-east of Birmingham city centre in its own Borough in the West Midlands. Moors came about as the result of the amalgamation of two rival football clubs – Moor Green and Solihull Borough – just eighteen years ago. Both clubs still live on – in a sense – in the way the new club has taken half of the previous clubs’ names to form their new title and the fact that the new Moors alternate their away kits each season to match the colours of the previous home strips of both Moor Green and Solihull Borough. The latter played in white shirts with red arms; red shorts and white socks; Moor Green (it was actually perhaps surprisingly less green in reality, wasn’t it?): pale blue shirts and dark blue shorts and socks. Additionally, Solihull Moors play at the former home ground of `Boro’ – the fruitlicious-sounding Damson Park – which was built in 1998. This venue is 147 miles from the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.

In contrast to many of the old Football League stalwarts we have already discussed who have won little or nothing in centuries of underachievement between them, Solihull Moors was formed as a dynamic club and have remained so ever since. Unlike the plastic club in Milton Keynes or dodgy-as-hell Gateshead, for instance, the new club came about as a result of the agreed merger of its forebears. Following an arson attack on its own ground, Moor Green started to share Solihull Borough’s ground as from 2005. In January 2007, the two clubs approached the Football Association and asked for permission for an official merger as the new club Solihull Moors. The FA agreed and the Moors adopted Boro’s position in the Conference North. They held their own in this league initially but in 2016 became Champions of the re-badged National League North and were automatically promoted to the senior Division. They came second in this during 2019; third in 2022 and fifth in 2024. But their Play-Off hopes were thwarted, firstly, by AFC Fylde in the semi-finals; Grimsby (after extra time) in the Final at Wembley and – most recently – Bromley at the same venue. In the same season, they also reached the FA Trophy Final but lost again – after penalties this time following a 2-2 draw after 120 minutes – to Gateshead.

So it’s been a matter of so close – but no Damson Coconut – during the eighteen years of the Moors’ existence. But at least they keep on plugging away…

Last season, they finished fourteenth in the National League.

Morecambe have only played Solihull Moors once. This was five years ago in front of an empty stadium by the seaside because of Covid restrictions. The match was an FA Cup Second Round tie. Solihull took the lead and then fell behind to two Cole Stockton goals – one of them an absolute cracker – before former Shrimp Jordan Cranston equalised for the visitors. But the Moors finally ran out of steam and lost 4-2.

As well as Jordan, Alex Whitmore and Andy Dallas have also played for both clubs.

Morecambe will travel to Solihull Moors on Saturday, 13^th September 2025. The Moors will return the favour on Saturday, 24^th January 2026.

The team from Solihull – just like us – have struggled so far this campaign. They started the match this afternoon in twenty-first position in the National League, right at the top of the relegation pack. They have six points after eight games and have lost four of them, resulting in the sacking of the Manager who led them in their first seven games of the new campaign – Matt Taylor – just over a week ago. The team immediately responded and at Boston last Saturday – with James Quinn in charge – they won for the first time this season in the league, coming out on top by two goals to one. Prior to the game, they had been rock bottom of the table.

Morecambe arrived in the West Midlands having taken-on that very unwelcome mantle. The Shrimps have only won one of their five matches in the National League so far and lost the last four in a row. At times, there have been bright moments in these games but overall, Ashvir’s team of raw recruits have looked disjointed, unfit and without any discernible shape or attacking plan. Without a pre-season, the fitness issue is understandable and we can only hope that as their physical shape improves, the team as a whole and as individuals step-up considerably because their recent performances have been generally really poor.

There have been exceptions to this: Gwion Edwards has looked both sharp and fit this term and scored a wonder goal just over a week ago against leaders Forest Green Rovers. Captain Yann Songo’o has also led by example. But they were both injured early doors last Saturday when the Shrimps were soundly beaten at Borehamwood – and the influence they both have had on the team was sadly missed once they left the field. Ben Tollitt is another player who has impressed so far. He looks fit and he seems both confident and committed – something he rarely appeared to be under Derek Adams’ previous regime. For me, the pick of the new bunch so far has been Jake Cain and I thought he showed real promise in midfield last time out. So – with even more untested or newly-arrived replacements waiting in the wings, how would the Shrimps fare today? The news from the Treatment Room wasn’t good prior to the game. Skipper Songo’o was not fit enough to play and injury-prone Gwion will be out for the next three or four weeks with yet another hamstring pull.

The weather had been showery with occasional downpours and generally Autumnal in the West Midlands earlier but the sun came out as the game kicked-off.

Archie Mair did really well to keep out Dan Creaney within ninety seconds as the Moors player left visiting defender Raheem Conte for dead, latched onto a tremendous cross-field pass from Bradley Stevenson, took aim and fired.

The hosts had another good chance after four minutes when a fierce shot from Jacob Wakeling only just missed the target. Conte looked culpable again as Solihull latched onto a wayward pass from him and quickly counter-attacked with six minutes played only to see the ball end-up on the top of Archie’s net as the one-way traffic continued. Jack Nolan then lost the ball in midfield; Conte redeemed himself to some extent with good defending but the ball ended-up being slung over again by the home team only for an unmarked Wakeling to head the ball over the bar when he really should have made it count.

So – with just nine minutes played, Moors had enjoyed nearly all the possession and created at least five reasonable opportunities. Morecambe, on the other hand, had forced a single corner which was completely wasted.

There was a welcome lull in proceedings from the Shrimps’ point of view for about ten minutes after this during which the visitors forced three corners in rapid succession.

But Normal Service was Resumed in the twenty-fifth minutes as Skipper Jamey Osborne barged his way through the away defence far too easily after Morecambe had yet again given away possession and took a shot which just trickled agonisingly over Mair’s goal-line to put the Brummies one goal to the good.

Straight from kick-off, Morecambe had a golden opportunity to equalise. Admiral Muskwe escaped down the wing and played a superb cross into the middle towards an in-rushing Ben Tollitt and Paul Lewis. Paul reached the ball first but his attempt went just wide of the target.

Debutant Nolan then showed that he has not arrived just to make-up the numbers when he received the ball about 25 yards out after half an hour, cut-in from the right hand side and then lashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner of ex-Morecambe keeper Laurie Walker’s net to his right, leaving him completely helpless. It was an absolutely outstanding strike.

The equaliser seemed to take the wind out of Solihull’s sails and – as showers swept across the pitch in the interim – Morecambe had the next good chance after 37 minutes. Nolan crossed the ball, which finally fell to Jake Cain, whose powerful shot was deflected for a corner. With Muskwe, Nolan and Cain combining well, the visitors were increasingly taking the game to the men in the yellow shirts as the half grew older.

But all of the Shrimps’ good work was undone right at the end of the period as the Moors broke away, Conte was again caught out by a simple ball over the top and an unmarked Wakeling was allowed to stride forward and take another shot which slowly bobbled past Archie and into his net.

In injury time, though, Morecambe had another good chance to equalise. This time, Walker did well to deny Lewis with a good save from a shot which he turned-away for a corner.

So there had a been good bits and bad bits as far as the men in the red and black striped shirts were concerned as they made their way back to the Dressing Rooms. They had looked weak at the back at times and rode their luck early doors but played some really good, progressive football regularly during the game. So although they were losing, they were showing signs that they just might be able to turn things around in the second half.

And they wasted no time at all doing exactly that. Paul Lewis slung the ball over from the Morecambe left; Nolan may have been able to flick it on and Muskwe got on the end of it to turn it past a flat-footed home goalkeeper with just three minutes played from the re-start.

Tollitt then immediately weaved his way through the home defence and forced a corner. After 52 minutes, as the home team struggled to clear this, the ball found its way to Nolan on the right. He slipped the ball forwards on the Morecambe right to Cain. Jake weaved his way backwards across the penalty area and his perfect cross into the centre was met with a really powerful header by the Admiral to give Walker no chance at all and completely turn the game on its head.

Solihull looked a bit rattled after this and there were some tetchy incidents between their defenders and Tollitt & Co for a little while after Morecambe took the lead. However, the visitors still looked vulnerable at the back every time they lost possession. The Moors were thus able to make things all-square again with another poor goal to concede after an hour when Brad Nicholson was able to head home from a corner and register his first goal for his new club.

Shortly afterwards, Ludwig Francillette gave the ball away again with a careless pass and Mair was forced into another save, albeit a fairly routine one. But Morecambe were still playing positively whenever they could. Tollitt took another shot which was headed over the bar for a corner with 67 minutes on the clock. He then won a free-kick on the edge of the area with 75 minutes played. Solihull struggled to clear it and Miguel Azeez took a touch and then fairly walloped it home from perhaps 35 yards out – to the delight of the 303 visiting fans who celebrated enthusiastically with him. It was a strike even better than Nolan’s in the first half. In making it, he scored his inaugural goal for the Shrimps and put them back ahead on the day.

But the hosts were level again almost immediately. Poor defending once more allowed Wakeling in again after 77 minutes and although Archie worked wonders to keep out his first attempt, he couldn’t deny him a second time.

Azeez then forced an equally good save from Walker at the cost of another corner almost immediately after this. Lewis was then denied by a combination of the home goalkeeper and one of his defenders with 80 minutes on the clock.

Archie then saved the Shrimps with a tremendous double-save when yet again, a Solihull man was able to get away from the Morecambe rearguard far too easily. The hosts got the ball in the net shortly after this but it was ruled-out for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Azeez then gave the ball away in the 88^th minute but immediately redeemed himself by clearing the ball off the Morecambe goal-line with Mair beaten.

With many Morecambe players again looking dead on their feet, it continued to be All Hands To The Pump for the Lancashire team for the last few minutes of the game and virtually the entire five minutes of injury time.

Having said that, though, they had the final chance of the game when Walker punched Cain’s free-kick away to safety in the ninety-seventh minute – and then the final whistle blew.

So was the glass half full or half empty at the end of the afternoon?

For me, it was definitely half-full. Although we looked disorganised and panicky at times yet again at the back, for the first time this season, the team looked like they had a plan going forwards and played some very good football. In Jack Nolan, Ash seems to have unearthed a player – although clearly not fully fit – who can (and did) make a real difference to the team offensively. Cain again caught the eye; Ben Williams was excellent as well and Azeez showed flashes of real skill at times as well.

The single point was enough to push the Moors out of the relegation zone. Although it didn’t change the Shrimps’ position at the bottom of the pile, it ended their current runs of defeats and put them just three points from safety with the same number of games in hand over their closest relegation rivals.

This is what the Manager had to say after the match:

“I’m extremely disappointed not to win. So it’s a draw; it’s a point gained – but it feels like a loss.  Listen: with four days of training, if that’s the performance the players can put out, I’m so proud of them. It’s an amazing group. They’ve taken on-board the ideas. We saw the attacking football we can play. The style of play is not going to change. We’re going to have one of the best footballing teams in England: I’m confident on that. It’s almost like we’re building the plane whilst it’s in the sky. We’ve got a lot of improvement to do. By the end of October we will have a team that understands everything in every phase of the game and a team that performs really strong. I’ve got a group that gives their all and today I think everybody saw that.”

Solihull Moors: 1Laurie Walker; 2 James Clarke; 3 Cameron Oliver Green; 4 Jamey Osborne (C); 5 Alex Whitmore; 6 Bradley Craig Nicholson; 9 Dan Creaney (7 Callum McFarlane 81’); 11 Ben Worman; 18 Jacob Wakeling; 21 Oscar Thor Rutherford; 29 Bradley Stevenson (27 Szhem Whyte-Hall 71’).

Subs not used: 13 Rory Francis Brown; 8 Sam Bowen; 14 Louis Jackson; 16 Oliver Tipton; 19 Emmanuel Sonupe.

Morecambe: 1 Archie Mair; 3 Raheem Conte; 6 Ludwig Francillette; 8 Miguel Azeez; 10 Jake Cain; 11 Admiral Muskwe (21 Joe Nuttall 85’ ); 14 Alie Sesay (C); 15 Ben Williams (19 Ma’kel Bogle-Campbell 92’); 17 Paul Lewis (16 Tom Tweedy 85’); 18 Ben Tollitt; 36 Jack Nolan (20 Mo Sangare 85’).

Subs not used: 25 Alfie Scales; 9 Harrison Panayiotou; 23 Daniel Ogwuru.

Ref: James Durkin.

Att: 1,307 (303 from Morecambe.)