The London Stadium will play host to the final fixture in the 2021-22 English club football calendar as Grimsby Town and Solihull Moors battle for a place in the English Football League.
It would be new territory for Solihull Moors, the West Midlands club only formed in 2007. They have been in the National League since 2016 with this their second play-off campaign. Grimsby Town have a proud EFL history and new ownership has breathed new life into the football club this year. They would love to return at the first time of asking, something no club has managed since 2016.
Both sides head into the final in fantastic form. Neal Ardley’s Moors are favourites having finished third in the league and lost just one of their last 23 league matches while Paul Hurst’s Mariners have lost just three of their last 22. The mettle of both sides has been shown during these play-offs with Moors beating Chesterfield after going a goal down and Grimsby seeing off Notts County and Wrexham away from home in extra time.
Both sides will be proud of their achievements this season regardless of what happens on Sunday but neither will want to leave empty handed having come so far. It promises to be an entertaining finale and a good chance at landing a Bet Builder.
Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town Bet Builder Tips
Both Teams to Score
It’s often the case that play-off matches are tight, tense, nervy affairs with both sides desperate not to lose rather than going all out for the win. That tends not to be the case in the National League where 16 of 24 play-off matches played since the change to its unique format have finished with both sides scoring, including three of the four finals.
There are plenty of reasons to believe that trend will continue on Sunday. For starters, all four play-off matches this year have finished with both sides having scored. Grimsby Town come into the game having scored and conceded in ten of their last 13 and Solihull Moors have done the same in 14 of their last 19. Both teams have scored in over half of matches played by both sides this season. Both teams have scored in five of ten matches played against sides 2nd to 7th in the league table.
As for the games between the two sides, Solihull Moors came out victors in both. The first was by a 2-0 scoreline in which Grimsby were the better side and ought to have found the net while the second finished 2-1 in March. Both sides created at least one expected goal in both matches. There is also the tactical element here with both sides playing off a target and looking to break to make runs in behind the opposition midfield and defence and into the area. And let’s not forget set-pieces – Solihull Moors scored from two last Sunday and Grimsby from five in this play-off campaign.
⚽
Prediction: Both Teams to Score
Over 9.5 Corners
As just mentioned, set-pieces are potentially going to play a big part in how this match unfolds and that includes corner kicks. Both Grimsby Town and Solihull Moors scored twice from corner kick situations in their play-off semi-finals, the former courtesy of a recycled cross from Danny Amos onto the head of Luke Waterfall and a John McAtee delivery for Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and the latter courtesy of two Harry Boyes balls, the first falling kindly for Alex Gudger and the second headed home by Callum Howe.
Looking at the numbers, Solihull Moors matches have averaged 10.07 corners per match and Grimsby’s 10.67. When you look at their numbers against fellow top seven opposition, the numbers increase with Solihull Moors averaging 10.6 and Grimsby averaging 11. In encounters between the two sides, there were 17 and 10 corners, respectively.
Tactically, it makes sense. Both sides like to play width and stretch the game. Ryan Barnett and Harry Boyes often the targets out wide for Solihull and Erico Sousa the out-ball for Grimsby. Both sides also like to play into the channel and search for runners, particularly Andrew Dallas and John McAtee spinning off their markers. There is also the jeopardy element to factor in as well with both sides playing for or trying to hold onto victory late on, meaning bodies will be thrown forward at one end and the ball protected in the corner at the other. Both sides will play for these situations knowing they can cause problems from them.
🚩
Prediction: Over 9.5 Corners
Solihull Moors Over 1.5 Cards
Neither Solihull Moors or Grimsby Town are particularly dirty sides but they are wholly committed to the cause and in a game of this magnitude, you can expect a few strong challenges to be made or tactical fouls to ensure the opposition can’t build ahead of steam.
Solihull Moors have averaged 1.76 cards per game this season, a record that increases to 2.23 when playing against fellow top seven opposition. Of course, there will be a variety of reasons as to why Solihull Moors tend to pick up cards against such opposition. For example, they received two in the final 20 minutes against Chesterfield on Sunday because of time-wasting. However, it’s a theme that has continued since the start of March against top opposition, Neal Ardley’s side picking up three yellow cards against Notts County and Grimsby Town, two against FC Halifax Town and Wrexham, four against Stockport County as well as the three last Sunday.
Kyle Storer is responsible for three of those bookings and as Solihull Moors’ most defensive midfielder, he’ll be responsible for marshalling a youthful midfield and protecting Alex Gudger, booked on Sunday, and Callum Howe, neither of whom are the most mobile. Grimsby are a side whose opposition tend to pick up cards as well – top seven opposition averaging 1.87 cards per match playing against The Mariners. Since the start of January, five of six opponents have accrued at least two yellow cards.
The London Stadium offers a bigger pitch in unfamiliar surroundings for both sides so players may feel more inclined to make a cynical challenge if they feel there is too much space ahead of them or when tiredness inevitably sets in.
🟨
Prediction: Solihull Moors Over 1.5 Cards
Written by an Andy verified content writer
Back the 3/1 Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town Bet Builder below ⬇️
🧾
Load the bet slip @ 4.02 at Paddy Power
Haven’t got a Paddy Power account? You’re in luck…
Sign up to Paddy Power and get a full refund if your first bet loses. Grab an account through the offer below and place £30 on the 3/1 Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town Bet Builder. Here are the two possible outcomes:
✅
You win £120.75 cash if it wins
🔄
Or you get your £30 stake back as cash
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets *
Predicted Line-ups
Solihull Moors predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Clarke, Howe, Gudger, Boyes; Storer, Maycock; Barnett, Sbarra, Dallas; Hudlin. Subs: Myatt; Maynard, Reilly, Newton, Rooney
Grimsby Town predicted XI (4-4-1-1): Crocombe; Cropper, Smith, Waterfall, Amos; Sousa, Holohan, Fox, Clifton; McAtee; Taylor
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing *
How to watch Solihull Moors v Port Vale in the National League Play-Off Final
📅 When is Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town? / Sunday, 5th June 2022, 15:00
🏟 Where is Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town? / London Stadium (London)
📺 What TV channel is Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town on? / BT Sport 1
🟨 …And who is the referee for Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town? / M Woods
