Solihull Moors 2 Hartlepool United 2: Pools forced to settle for a replay after entertaining first round tie

Keith Curle’s side thought they had done enough when the returning Jack Hamilton restored their lead in the second half after Josh Umerah saw his eighth goal of the season cancelled out by Andrew Dallas.

Hamilton headed in from a corner soon after making his return to the side but it was not enough as the National League side grabbed a deserved equaliser five minutes from time through the impressive Joe Sbarra.

Sbarra turned in a rebound from close range after Ben Killip had, on three occasions, denied Solihull as the two sides will now be forced to meet again at the Suit Direct Stadium for a place in the second round of the FA Cup.

Curle kept true to his word when suggesting he would field a strong starting line-up with just one change from the side who beat Grimsby Town in the league a week ago. Theo Robinson came in for David Ferguson, who did not travel with the squad, in the only change to the starting XI, with Curle tweaking his system against the National League side.

But it was on the bench where there were notable changes as Curle included three of the club's academy in Louis Stephenson, Joe Kitching and Campbell Darcy. Darcy captained the academy side in the midweek FA youth cup defeat to Accrington Stanley while both Stephenson and Kitching also featured.

There were also returns on the bench for injured duo Joe Grey and Hamilton after Curle had hinted he could see two of his injured seven players back in contention for the FA Cup tie.

And it was Pools who started brightly as Wes McDonald, returning to the Armco Arena where he spent a period on loan in 2017, escaped down the left before testing changed goalkeeper Ryan Boot at his near post.

Yet Hartlepool should have been behind five minutes later when captain Nicky Featherstone coughed up a rare error with a horribly weighted pass for Alex Lacey which allowed Josh Kelly a clear run on goal from just inside the Pools half. Fortunately for Featherstone, however, goalkeeper Killip stood tall to thwart Kelly whose effort was tame in the end.

The missed opportunity gave Solihull a lift as they targeted Clarke Oduor in the unnatural left full-back position in the absence of Ferguson as James Clarke saw his cross turned over by Dallas.

But while the home side enjoyed early success down the right, Pools had success of their own through McDonald in particular and it was the former Birmingham City man who helped open the scoring in the 18th minute after strong work from Mohamad Sylla in midfield.

McDonald checked back onto his right foot and picked out Umerah in the middle who, at the second time of asking, was able to fire beyond Boot into the top corner to this time claim his eighth goal of the season after being denied that feat against Grimsby.

And Umerah might have grabbed his ninth of the season almost immediately from the restart as Callum Cooke lifted a fine ball over the defence for Umerh to run onto but this time he lifted just over the bar.

Having almost gifted Solihull a lead inside five minutes, Featherstone made up for things when saving an almost certain goal to block Sbarra’s effort inside the area.

Despite their lead, Pools had to deal with plenty from the National League side who demonstrated why they have not been beaten on home turf this season and, perhaps, why just five places separate the two sides in the football pyramid at kick-off.

Robinson had two decent opportunities to grab his first goal for the club, first from McDoanld’s near post cross as he headed over, before then refusing the opportunity to shoot from Cooke’s clever through ball.

Sbarra fired a warning shot on the stroke of half-time when capitalising on a loose clearance from Lacey as Pools held a narrow lead at the break.

Curle looked disgruntled heading down the tunnel, despite the lead, but will have been pleased with the initial start to the second half from his side.

It was a start which almost yielded a second goal but for a stunning save from Boot to deny Featherstone’s rasping effort.

And from the resulting corner, Solihull levelled. Sbarra picked up a clearance on halfway and curled a lovely ball into the path of Dallas, beyond the stretching Reghan Tumilty, to move clear on Killip’s goal.

Killip was left a little stranded as Dallas elected to go round him before keeping his composure to fire the equaliser.

Sbarra threatened again moments later only for Lacey to block well before the home side saw strong penalty appeals turned away when Sylla’s high foot went unpunished on Kelly.

Pools looked to have stemmed the tide somewhat and came close to retaking the lead when Robinson did everything right when meeting Cooke’s free kick only for Boot to produce another fine save.

Curle turned to his bench soon after the hour mark and, perhaps surprisingly, withdrew Umerah, as well as Robinson, for Grey and Hamilton. But those changes paid dividends immediately as Grey’s hard work forced a corner in which fellow sub Hamilton towered to head Pools back in front.

And the tie was within inches of being put to bed minutes later when Cooke rattled the Solihull cross bar with Boot beaten.

Killip saved from Sbarra with 10 minutes to go as the hosts again threatened on a breakaway from a Pools corner before Neal Ardley’s side really turned the screw in the closing stages.

Sbarra was at the heart of most of the good work from the home side as Killip produced a fine double save to deny his back post header and the follow-up from Alex Reid.

But the pressure finally told six minutes from time as Sbarra pounced on another good save from Killip to deny Ben Coker to find the corner and ensure both teams will do battle again.

Solihull Moors XI: Boot, Clarke, Coker, Storer ©, Gudger, Sbarra, Maycock, Dallas (Reid), Barnett, Kelly, Kelleher

Subs: Moulden, Vaughan, Donawa, Whelan, Jones

Hartlepool United XI: Killip, Tumilty, Lacey (Taylor), Murray, Oduor, Sylla, Featherstone, Cooke, McDonald (Hastie), Umerah (Hamilton), Robinson (Grey)

Subs: Letheren, Kitching, Darcy, Stephenson, Ndjoli