Jim Bentley expects Solihull Moors to pose AFC Fylde a different sort of test

When the two sides met in November, the Moors were managed by Tim Flowers but he has since been replaced by James Shan.

Flowers’ side was known for a more direct, physical approach, and although that is still an option for the Midlands outfit, it isn’t what’s expected at Mill Farm.

Bentley said: “They’re a little bit different now with their new manager, they’ve still got the players in the building with regards to the physical attributes, and whether they look at our pitch and think they’ll revert back to the way they were, we’ll have to see.

“The new manager has gone in and is from that background of playing good football and that’s the reports we’ve had on them.

“They probably won’t be as they were but they will have it in their locker to cause problems from set plays.

“I have to say, that was probably one of the best performances we’ve had this year but we got beaten 3-1.

“We were 3-0 down inside 20 minutes, we got bullied a little bit. That was the way they played.

“After that 20 minutes I didn’t half enjoy watching that DVD back.

“It was one of our best performances in regard to how we played, the chances we created.

“We need a similar performance again but be a little bit more robust at the back, and when we do go forward, take more of the chances than we are at the minute.”

Solihull were knocked out of the play-offs last season by Fylde, but both have had disappointing campaigns by their standards.

Solihull are seventh with the Coasters second-bottom but Bentley believes now is a time for calm heads.

“They’re one of the ambitious clubs as we are,” he said.

“They’re probably not as high as they would have wanted to be after last season, and with the ambition of the club, but they’re still in the mix.

“It’s nothing to do with us, all our energies are going into trying to win this game.

“If we do that, great, and then there is another opportunity on Tuesday (against Dagenham and Redbridge).

“There is a lot of football coming, a lot of time, a lot of points to play for, but we can’t just keep standing here each week saying the same things or time will tick by.

“It is all hands to the pump in certain respects at the minute but we’ve got to make sure we keep calm in this situation because the last thing you need to do is panic.

“Ultimately you could end up making more mistakes and losing more games.”