Moors fell to their first defeat in six games as Marine snatched a precious 1-0 win National League North at The Brewery Field on Tuesday night.
A tidy second half strike from Finlay Sinclair-Smith proved the difference as the visitors took home all three points to boost their bid for survival.
Graeme Lee’s men flew out of the traps during the opening stages, forcing a corner out of Josh Shaw in just the third minute as the defender blocked a shot behind
Marine’s lively forward Jack Hazelhurst produced some good play down the left which saw him fire a ball into the six-yard area with Kallan Murphy as his target, but Brad James was there to claim well.
A real issue for Moors came on the 15th minute as midfield ace Rob Ramshaw was forced off through injury to be replaced by January signing Mitch Hancox. It was a real loss for Moors who will be hoping the influential Ramshaw is fit for Saturday’s game away at Sutton United.
Corey McKeown almost put Moors into the lead midway through the first half after driving dangerously inside from the left, but he saw his low driven effort rebound off the near post.
Glen Taylor tested the keeper just a few minutes later after he cut inside to strike one with his right. Andrew Wogan got down well to parry the effort wide of the post and out for a Moors corner.
Another blow for Moors came as Hancox, the substitute on for the injured Ramshaw, was forced off just after the half hour mark with hamstring trouble. It was the last thing Moors needed before the weekend’s mammoth FA Trophy tie and a packed March schedule.
Taylor came close again minutes before the break as McKeown’s ball into the box found the big number 9, whose header thumped off the near post and out to be cleared away by the visitors.
Both sides were well and truly still in the game coming into the second half, but it was Marine who began the brighter as Sinclair-Smith ripped a shot in the opening minute, but was denied of any real effort by Ben Beals, who got across well to block.
Neil Young’s men continued their advances as they themselves hit the woodwork less than a minute later. The captain, Chris Doyle, saw his headed effort strike off the same post that Taylor’s had in the first 45.
Moors looked to get back into the game through Matty Dolan, as the midfielder struck an enticing free-kick goalward, only for it to drop just off target to the goalkeeper’s left.
Both sides saw chances come and go as Andy Scarisbrick scuffed an effort straight at James, before Taylor’s powerful, first-time effort was well stopped at the other end by Wogan.
Dolan let another freekick fly soon after, this time from a more promising position. The experienced midfielder struck his effort just wide of the post to the keeper’s left from 30 yards out.
Despite Lee’s men’s advances in the second period, it was the visitors who took the lead on 64 minutes. A brilliantly timed ball from a Marine man Scarisbrick split Moors’ defence and found Sinclair-Smith, who had timed his run to perfection. The lively midfielder latched onto the ball before striking a calm effort past James and into the net to give the visitors the lead.
Moors really needed to get themselves back into the game if they wanted to preserve their impressive five-game winning streak, and Taylor almost answered the call via an ingenious freekick. A smart strike beneath the wall would’ve found its way into the net had it not been for a good reaction down low from Wogan in the away net.
The hosts really struggled as Marine began applying pressure to secure the points, as chances started to form. James Butler saw his free header fly well wide of the post from a corner before Sinclair-Smith’s shot flew just wide of the mark
Moors pushed everything forward in the dying embers but ultimately, the resolute Marine defence couldn’t be breached, and the Merseyside outfit grabbed all the points.
Full Time: Moors 0 Marine 1
Moors: James, Dyson, Pollock Beals, Staunton, Ross (Ledger 77), Dolan, Mondal (Rutledge 59), Ramshaw (Hancox 15 (Shrimpton 32), McKeown, Taylor.
Subs not used: Rowe
Booked: Pollock (43), Dolan (45+3), Shrimpton (55), Ross (77).
Marine: Wogan, Brown, Butler, Doyle, Shaw, Fielding, Gregson (Thomas 88), Sinclair-Smith (Robinson 90+1), Hazlehurst, Murphy (Lusiana 90+1), Scarisbrick.
Subs not used: McAllister, Wardle
Booked: Doyle (50), Butler (62), Murphy (88).
Referee: Joe Moss
Attendance: 1,102
Written by Noah Betts
