A Tale of Two Keepers as Solihull Moors Over 65s Reach the National Cup Final

Solihull Moors 1-1 Basford Walking Football
(Solihull Moors win 1-0 on penalties)

Solihull Moors Over 65s secured their place at the 2026 National Cup Finals Weekend after overcoming Basford Walking Football in a dramatic penalty shootout following a thrilling 1-1 draw.

Played in sweltering conditions, both teams produced an excellent advert for walking football in a contest that showcased quality, determination and outstanding goalkeeping at both ends of the pitch.

From the opening whistle, Solihull Moors took control of the game and immediately put Basford under sustained pressure. During the first ten minutes alone, Brendan Mulcahy, John McGinnell and Marcus Hooper combined to produce eight efforts on goal, all of them on target. However, Basford’s goalkeeper was in inspired form, producing a string of outstanding reflex saves to somehow keep the scores level.

Following the first water break, the pattern of the game remained unchanged. Moors continued to dominate possession and create chances, but despite their superiority they were unable to find a way past the outstanding Basford goalkeeper.

Against the run of play, Basford struck first. A well-hit low free kick from Collier found its way through and into the corner of the net to give Basford a 1-0 lead at the interval.

Despite the setback, Solihull Moors never lost belief.

The second half began with the Moors once again on the attack, moving the ball quickly and probing for an equaliser. Their persistence was finally rewarded when Brendan Mulcahy produced a moment of individual brilliance. Twisting past his defender, he sat the goalkeeper down before delicately clipping the ball into the net to level the scores at 1-1.

Moments after the restart, Mulcahy almost completed the turnaround when another excellent effort crashed against the post.

The game then became more open, with both teams enjoying spells of possession and creating opportunities. However, neither side could find a winner before the final whistle, meaning penalties would decide who progressed.

The shootout produced an extraordinary finale and truly lived up to the headline — a tale of two keepers.

Incredibly, the first eight penalties of the shootout were either brilliantly saved or missed, underlining the exceptional performances of both goalkeepers throughout the afternoon.

With the pressure mounting, substitute Steve Wright calmly converted Solihull Moors’ fifth penalty to edge his side in front.

That left goalkeeper Martin Sharkey with one final task.

Having already produced several outstanding saves during normal time, Sharkey capped a magnificent display by diving full length to save Basford’s fifth penalty, sparking jubilant celebrations among the Moors players and supporters.

It was a thoroughly deserved victory after a disciplined and dominant performance against an excellent Basford side. Both teams deserve enormous credit for producing a high-quality game played in excellent spirit despite the demanding weather conditions.

The victory sends Solihull Moors Over 65s through to the National Cup Final, which will be held at Nottingham University on Sunday 6th September 2026. Six of the country’s top teams will compete in a final round-robin competition to decide the National Cup champions.

The Over 65s have already enjoyed another outstanding season, adding league and cup success to their growing list of honours. Now they have one final challenge ahead as they look to finish the campaign by competing for national glory.