Southport 0-3 Solihull Moors: Ace Dallas gives boss a dilemma to ponder

By Alan Jones

SOUTHPORT 0

SOLIHULL MOORS 3

Dallas 31, 48, 64

JANUARY is the month that many teams go in search of extra firepower but Solihull Moors might just have found theirs from within.

On target for the first time in four months, Andrew Dallas hit a perfect hat-trick to double his tally for the season and provide a timely reminder of his talents to Moors manager Neal Ardley.

Just three points adrift of the play-off places in the National League, Solihull made light work of Southport to ease into the last 16 of the FA Trophy, Dallas emphasising the divisional gap with a clinical display of finishing.

The Moors have been in indifferent form of late but from the moment Dallas put them in front on 31 minutes, the outcome here was never in doubt.

Munro (Benjamin Vassallo, Watson bridge, Edwards ( 66). Subs not use Clarke, Gudger, S Maycock, Osborn ston 70), Ball, Da Newton, Maynard Rooney, McNally,

“Things have been difficult for Dallo recently, he hasn’t scored a goal for a while and was maybe trying too hard, so hopefully this will give him that bit of a swagger back,” said Ardley.

“We feel like we’ve got lots of creativity within the team and the ability to create chances but we obviously need the players to be able to finish them off.

“We knew Southport were on a good run and are difficult to beat at home, so we had to make sure they were ready for a cup tie and then try to play the good football when the time was right.

“We fielded out strongest possible team today because knew how important it was to get back to winning ways.”

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While Solihull will hope a reinvigorated Dallas can provide them with an extra dimension in attack, Southport have been left to ponder a striking void of their own.

Having lost 17-goal Marcus Carver – their leading marksman and player responsible for a third of the team’s total goals tally – to Hartlepool United in the week, they will now be looking someone to step up themselves.

Dallas put the visitors in front midway through the half by dispatching a fierce drive inside the near post after Joe Sbarra combined with Alex Gudger.

Jack Bainbridge had earlier gone close for Southport but Solihull proceeded to take control.

Three minutes after the break, Dallas added his second, adjusting well to fire the ball b past Tony McMillan M after t receiving the t loose ball from a Danny Newton cross, before completing his hattrick by heading home a Harry Boyes cross.

Ryan Bennett also thumped a post late on for the visitors.

“They stood out as being a team from a league above us and we can have no complaints,” said Southport manager Liam Watson, who saw his team’s impressive 15-match unbeaten run come to an end.

“Our lads kept on going, we’ve had some great resuls and we’ve now got to pick ourselves up and go again.”

STAR MAN: Andrew Dallas (Solihull Moors)

ATT: 941

ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★

REFEREE: Lewis Smith