Aldershot Town make their second away trip of the season to kick-off this August Bank Holiday Weekend, travelling to West Midlands-based Solihull Moors on Saturday afternoon.
Formed as a merger of Solihull Borough and Moor Green, ‘the Moors’ are now entering their tenth-successive season at step-one, and having lost two of the last four play-off finals by the narrowest of margins, their intentions of becoming a Football League club within 20 years of inception are no secret.
Having drawn each of their three league meetings thus far, the side currently sit in 13th place, and like the Shots, will be battling it out for a maiden win of the new Enterprise National League season.
RECENT FORM
While three points from three league matches may seem uninspiring on paper, having held high flying Forest Green to a draw despite playing 84 minutes with ten men, as well as nicking a point from a difficult Cumbrian away day, there have been plenty of positives to take from a difficult first set of fixtures.
- 19/08/25 – Carlisle United 1-1 Solihull Moors (Creaney)
- 16/08/25 – Sutton United 0-0 Solihull Moors
- 12/08/25 – Solihull Moors 1-2 Everton U21 (Holmes)
- 09/07/25 – Solihull Moors 2-2 Forest Green Rovers (Rutherford, Clarke)
- 02/08/25 – Kidderminster Harriers 1-2 Solihull Moors (Creaney, Whyte-Hall)
The campaign began in disastrous circumstances, after 19-year-old Darius Lipsiuc’s high-footed challenge earned the debutante a red-card after just six minutes against Forest Green. However, Oscar Rutherford’s diving header would send the Moors into a surprise lead just ten minutes later. A quick-fire double for the visitors would reverse the lead by the hour mark, though substitute James Clarke’s stabbed finish would level things once more, with the score concluding 2-2.
Two more draws would follow, as an away double header saw the Moors keep Sutton United to a goalless stalemate, before the long pilgrimage to Brunton Park saw Matty Taylor’s side take the lead through new signing Daniel Creaney, only to be cancelled out by a late equaliser from Terell Thomas.
IN THE DUGOUT
With 325 Premier League appearances as a player, former Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United and Portsmouth midfielder Matthew Taylor is among the more high-profile faces among the National League’s current managerial alumni.
An impressive playing career – with a particularly impressive goal catalogue – saw Taylor promoted from the Championship on three occasions, each with different clubs. He may be best remembered as an ever-present member of Harry Redknapp’s over-achieving Pompey side of the mid-2000s, notably scoring goals against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester United en route to helping the club achieve 9th place in 2006/07, their first top-half finish in the top-flight in over 50 years. Frustratingly, Taylor would leave for Bolton Wanderers in January 2008, missing the side’s historic FA Cup victory four months later.
His first taste of management arrived during the twilight of a 20-year playing career, as the left midfielder was appointed interim player-manager of Swindon Town following the departure of David Flitcroft in 2018. However, losing 3-0 at home in a solitary game in charge, he would be made to wait until post-retirement to truly earn his coaching stripes, being appointed head-coach of Tottenham Hotspur U18 in 2019.
After impressing in North London, he would be granted a first permanent role in charge at League Two Walsall for the start of the 2021/22 season. Despite a respectable start, seven successive losses at the turn of the new year saw the young gaffer relieved of his post. It was a similar story for his next role at Shrewsbury Town in 2023/24, as a 34% win ratio from 35 games suggested Taylor was far from out of his depth, though extended strings of successive negative results – namely seven defeats in eight games around the Christmas period – sparked uncertainty in his owners, moved on once more.
Taylor next moved to North London, taking the helm at Wealdstone ahead of the 2024/25 National League season. After a rocky start with just one win in 14 in the league, Taylor would eventually succeed in galvanising the Stones around the winter period, with a string of great results – including victories against Rochdale, Altrincham and the Shots themselves- guiding the club from deep within the relegation zone to 18th by late-January, an impressive feat considering the limited resources provided by one of the division’s only semi-professional sides. It was at this time that the former England U21 international was poached by Solihull, whose managerial position was recently vacant following the departure of Andy Whing. The club reported that his general approach, philosophy and professionalism impressed Moors Chairman Darryl Eales.
Getting the feel for his first full season in charge at the ARMCO Arena, 43-year-old Taylor will be hoping he can guide the Moors to promotion contention and further establish himself as an up-and-coming, sought-after young manager.
FACING THEIR FORMER CLUB
Kwame Thomas – Shots’ number 9 played 46 times for the Moors between 2017 and 2019. Initially joining on loan from parent club Coventry City, Thomas scored four times for the side, including the opener in a 3-0 win against Woking in January 2018.
Marcus Dewhurst – Joining as loan from Sheffield United, a then-20-year-old Dewhurst played three matches between Solihull’s sticks in 2021.
MATCH HISTORY AND LAST TIME OUT
Following Solihull’s promotion to the National League, the sides first met in October 2016. The Shots would have the early rub of the green in this matchup, winning thrice in succession without conceding. However, they would also lose eight league matches in a row between 2018 and 2023, with the pendulum only just beginning to swing back in the Hampshire side’s favour.
Games played: 18
Aldershot wins: 7
Solihull wins: 9
Draws: 2
Aggregate score: 21-25
Record Shots victory: 3-1 (2025)
Record Solihull victory: 4-1 (2022)
Last time out saw the Shots win 3-1 at the EBB Stadium in February, after a breathless first-half performance saw the hosts three to the good before half-time. A Cameron Hargreaves stunner was followed by goals from Jones’, Ryan and Aaron. Fletcher Holman got one back in the 76th minute, though any threat of a comeback was soon extinguished, with forward Conor Wilkinson receiving a second yellow just 60-seconds after.
Aldershot’s last victory at the ARMCO Arena came in October 2023, with Laurent Tolaj’s first-time strike on the hour-mark proving the only goal of the game. Last year’s visit looked to have been heading for a 1-1 draw after header’s apiece from Conor Wilkinson and Jack Barham, though Jack Stevens’ 89th-minute wonderstrike clinched a home win at the death..
TICKET INFO
Tickets for the Shots’ trip to the ARMCO Arena to take on Solihull Moors on Saturday, 23rd August, are available to buy online by clicking HERE
Prices are as follows:
- ADULT – £21
- CONCESSION (65+) – £18
- 18-24 – £13
- UNDER 18 – £10*
- UNDER 12 – FREE*
*No Children aged 14 and under are allowed into the stadium without a full paying adult.
Tickets are listed as “Home” and “Away” so please ensure you select the “Away” option for your relevant category.
Please note that all prices are subject to a £1 booking fee per ticket, these have been already been included above.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT
Live updates will be available from our social media platforms X (@OfficialShots), Instagram (@aldershottownfcofficial), and Facebook. After the game, highlights will be available on our YouTube channel.
The game can be streamed to overseas viewers via DAZN’s National League TV coverage. Click HERE to purchase a match pass.
There will be live commentary of the game provided by BBC Radio Surrey – listen online HERE
