Preview: Salford City

9 November 2018

Marcus Braddock gives us his preview ahead of Sunday's FA Cup tie with Salford City

This weekend the F.A. Cup takes centre stage with the visit of Salford City to Montgomery Waters Meadow. They're the glamour club in the National League because of their connection with Manchester United stars Ryan Giggs. Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers who all own 10% of the club each. In the four years since they bought into the club, Salford have enjoyed three promotions and look to be eyeing up a fourth with the Ammies sitting pretty in third place in the National League.

Salford haven't lost a league game since August 11th and have only lost twice this season so this is not going to be a stroll. Having watched their highlights this season, this looks like a team that likes to pass the ball if they're given the room to do so. They also look confident but you would expect that from a team near to the top of their division. Having said that, this isn't an unbeatable team and although they've not lost in as long while, they did need very late equalisers in their home game against bottom placed Braintree and away at Eastleigh last weekend.

Top Scorers

In Adam Rooney and Rory Gaffney, Salford have two strikers who could easily be playing their football at a higher level. Rooney has scored 12 times in 19 matches this season including a hat-trick away at Dover. He hasn't scored in the four games since then, so he'll be busting a gut to get on the scoreboard against League opposition. Fortunately for Salford, Rory Gaffney has scored four times in four games which takes his total up to seven from 19 games. Twenty-two year old Thomas Walker is just behind Gaffney with five goals from midfield so far this season.

Clean Sheets

Two from home games and four from away games. Salford's last clean sheet was away against Maidenhead on September 29th.

We Meet Again

It's been a while since Chris Neal played for us but in his last season with us (11/12) he helped us win promotion as part of Graham Turners team. Since then, he's played for Port Vale, helping them to promotion in his first season and although injuries limited his appearances for Vale, he ended up playing 138 games in all competitions before leaving for Fleetwood in July 2016. He spent a couple of years with the Trawler Men but appearances were limited because of the form of Alex Cairns and he left at the end of last season to Join Salford.

Team News

Shaun Whalley is still sidelined with a calf injury.

Summary

This is the proverbial banana skin for us against one of the best “non league” teams in the country. If we win, nobody bats an eyelid but defeat will draw the sort of attention we can do without. The Ammies form is great so we're going to meet a team high on confidence although they do appear to have slowed down a bit of late with just one win and three draws in their last four games. Against Eastleigh last weekend they were fortunate to come away with a point after a last minute goal. To me, late goals suggests a fit side that wont let up until the final whistle is blown. However. we scored a late winner last weekend though so we should also be competitive to the very end.

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT: Shrewsbury Town 1 Salford City 1

11 November 2018

Town draw 1-1 with Salford City.

Town: Steve Arnold, Josh Emmanuel, Mat Sadler, Omar Beckles, Greg Docherty, Fejiri Okenabirhie (Lee Angol, 66), Aaron Amadi-Holloway (Lenell John-Lewis), Luke Waterfall, Josh Laurent, Ollie Norburn, Anthony Grant.

Subs: Joel Coleman, Lee Angol, James Bolton, Lenell John-Lewis, Alex Gilliead, Abo Eisa, Ryan Sears.

Salford: Chris Neal, Scott Wiseman, Ibou Touray, Carl Piergianni, Louis Maynard, Adam Rooney, Daniel Lloyd (Liam Hogan, 74), Daniel Whitehead, Dennis Politic (Thomas Walker, 62), Nathan Pond, Rory Gaffney (Devante Rodney, 82).

Subs: Maxime Crocombe, Liam Hogan, Thomas Walker, James Hooper, Devante Rodney, Brandon Lockett, Kamar Moncrieffe.

Referee: Ben Toner

Assistants: Nick Barnard and Richard Wild

Fourth official: Joe Clarke

Attendance: 4351 (421)

Intro:

Shrewsbury Town will now prepare for a replay fixture with Salford City after a one all draw at the Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Ollie Norburn took the lead for Town in the 25^th minute, but the visitors fought back to earn a draw on the road.

Team News:

John Askey made one change to his starting line up that faced AFC Wimbledon last weekend. Josh Laurent was introduced into the starting as Alex Gilliead starts on the bench.

First Half:

The opening 10 minutes turned out to be a tight affair, with both teams having good attacking moments. Both sides were feeding balls into the box, however both defences were remaining solid and doing well to push away any dangerous attacks.

Dennis Politic was awarded a yellow card early on in the tie for clipping Anthony Grant’s ankle.

Town were the team who capitalised on their chances, taking the lead in the 25^th minute through Ollie Norburn. Fejiri Okenabirhie did well to find Norburn in the box and the midfielder did well to get an effort on goal. Town benefited from a deflection, which saw the ball nestle into the back of the net.

Just two minutes later Salford registered a response. A corner delivery found it’s way to Adam Rooney, who managed to get a strong headed connection on the ball and the striker’s effort found it’s way into the corner of the goal.

Okenabirhie and Josh Laurent were combining well on the left side of the pitch and were constantly asking questions of the Ammies right-back Scott Wiseman. Town’s delivery into the box was a plus point for Askey’s men and caused the visitors problems throughout.

Politic had a good a long-range effort at Town’s goal as the half drew to a close. The midfielder let off a powerful shot, but Steve Arnold got two strong hands to the ball and retained possession for his side.

The two sides went into the break level on the score sheet. Town took the lead but the visitors managed to score a headed effort just two minutes.

Second Half:

The first real chance of the second-half fell to Ammies number 30 Rory Gaffney five minutes in. The striker slipped into the box and let off a powerful driven shot. The forward’s effort took a slight deflection of Luke Waterfall, which pushed the ball just wide of the post.

Referee Ben Toner booked Luke Waterfall in the 64^th minute for blocking off Thomas Walker.

The second-half action was a much more tightly contested match, with neither team wanting to relinquish possession. Grant was doing well to anchor in the middle of the park and spark most of Town’s advances, but no clear opportunities would open up.

No chances were falling for either team as the game drew to a close. Norburn had a long-range effort in the 88^th minute, which was comfortably saved by Chris Neal. Both teams were doing a good job to limit each other to few chances.

The next chance of the game fell Lee Angol’s way. The striker latched onto a cross, but he was unable to generate enough power on the ball to trouble the Ammies keeper.

The game came to an end with the score sheet level at one all. Town took the lead but were unable to shut out the visitors.

Standings