Match preview - Final day trip to Salford lies in wait

26 April 2024

Town get set for the final fixture of the 2023/24 tomorrow when they travel across the Pennines to face Salford City.

And having already secured a highest ever points total as a League Two side Simon Weaver’s side know that a victory could see them record a first ever top-half finish.

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Our opponents

After reaching the playoffs last season, there were high hopes that the Ammies could again be amongst the sides challenging for promotion.

However, the season has not panned out that way and for much of the season they have been amongst the sides at the wrong end of the table, also seeing the departure of manager Neil Woods in late December.

Coming into the game, they are in 20^th position with last weekend's 1-0 win at Newport ending a run of four successive defeats. They also have the second worst home record in the division, winning only five games and averaging a point per game.

Previous meetings

Early in the season, Town posted a 3-2 win at The Enivrovent Stadium with Abraham Odoh grabbing a winner ten minutes from time after Salford had cancelled out George Thomson and Sam Folarin’s early strikes that put Town 2-0 ahead.

The victory was Town’s first in League Two against the Ammies and at the Peninsula Stadium there have been two draws and a defeat in the three games to date.

Last season Matty Lund levelled late on to deny Town victory after Jack Muldoon had struck early in the second-half. In 2021/22 a brace from Matt Smith secured a 2-0 win for the hosts whilst back in the 2020/21 season Ed Francis rescued a late point with an injury time goal to level matters at 2-2, with Jack Muldoon having earlier fired home an equaliser.

The man in charge

Karl Robinson was appointed as boss in early January following the departure of Neil Woods. He has won seven and drawn six of his 20 games in charge so far.

Robinson’s first job as a manager came at just 29 years of age when he took charge of MK Dons, where he spent almost six seasons and guided the club to promotion to the Championship in 2014/15. He also had a brief spell at Charlton Athletic before taking charge at Oxford until early 2023, which included two appearances in the League One playoffs.

Ones to watch

The standout performer of the season has undoubtedly been striker Matt Smith, with the veteran posting 24 goals during the campaign. Forward Callum Hendry has eight goals.

Midfielders Connor McAleny and Ryan Watson have six goals apiece with Watson also notching five assists. Elliott Watt has six assists on the season.

Goalkeeper and captain Alex Cairns has been an ever present during the campaign with defender Curtis Tilt missing just one game in a strong first season at the club. Harrogate-born Luke Garbutt has also impressed after joining from Blackpool last summer.

History

The club has of course had a rapid rise to reach this level, appearing at the North West Counties League level little over a decade ago.

The club were initially founded in 1940 as Salford Central, playing in local area leagues before joining the Manchester League in the 1960’s where they enjoyed a sustained period of success. They then became founder members of the North West Counties League in 1982 before moving up to the Northern Premier League.

The takeover of the club by the ‘Class of 92’ in 2014 whilst members of the Norther Premier League kickstarted the rise to Football League status and the club reached National League North in 2016 before achieving league status in 2019.

Team news

Town report a clean bill of health heading into this one.

Match Reports

Salford City 2-2 Town - Town twice level to earn a point on final day

27 April 2024

Town played out an entertaining 2-2 draw away to Salford City to round out a successful 2023/24 League Two season.

In a back and forth first-half Town twice had to come from behind, Abraham Odoh levelling after Callum Hendry headed home in the opening stages and then when Matty Foulds cleverly finished from a corner after Ryan Watson had restored the Ammies lead on the half-hour mark.

The point saw Town finish in thirteenth position on 63 points – both records for the club as a League Two side.

There was one change for Town with the final game of the season seeing a welcome return to the line-up for Toby Sims after a long period out through injury.

The hosts made two changes to their line-up from the side that defeated Newport 1-0 last time out, with top scorer Matt Smith and Junior Luamba returning in place of Matty Lund and Connor McLennan.

Salford forced an early corner from which Hendry fired narrowly wide but they didn’t have to wait long to take the lead when Hendry was unmarked and steered his header beyond James Belshaw for the lead.

From a George Thomson corner there was only a half clearance from the home defence with the rebound falling to Stephen Dooley whose effort was blocked away to safety.

The pacy Luamba was getting the better of the Town defence in the early stages and having got beyond Foulds down the right hand side he fired an effort just wide of the target.

Rod McDonald was yellow carded on the quarter-hour mark for a late challenge on Luamba.

Fellow defender Anthony O’Connor then headed just over from a corner before a neat passage of play saw Town equalise when Cornelius found some space and squared for Odoh to coolly slot home beyond Alex Cairns.

Odoh then turned provider as he teed up Matty Daly but his shot was turned behind for a corner.

On the half-hour mark Town fell behind again when a headed clearance fell straight to Watson who spectacularly volleyed home past Belshaw from the edge of the area.

Sims then joined O’Connor in the book when he pulled back Watson when the Ammies midfielder was heading towards goal.

Hendry then tested Belshaw on the stroke of half-time before Foulds struck in time added on to level at 2-2. The Town full-back met Thomson’s low corner at the near post and instinctively flicked the ball behind him into the far corner of the goal beyond Cairns and a static Salford defence to level.

Moments after the break Elliott Watt fired from distance which Belshaw did well to get behind and palm away with the Town defence quick to clear the resulting danger.

After twice levelling Town almost grabbed the lead on fifty minutes when Muldoon’s effort deflected into the path of Thomson who struck first time with Cairns pulling off a fantastic save to his left to deny Town’s leading scorer.

Cornelius pounced on a loose ball shortly after and spotted Cairns way off his line but his attempted chip lacked the direction and fell easily to safety.

On the hour a clever free-kick from Watt caught the Town defence out but with Smith looking dangerous they recovered well to clear the threat.

That then prompted the first change of the afternoon for the hosts with Luamba being replaced by Kelly Nmai and Ethan Ingram making way for Dan Chester.

Dooley then split the home defence to free up Daly down the left and he threaded a first-time pass through to Muldoon who was just crowded out by the home defence before he could get his shot away.

Watson then made a last ditch clearance to deny another Town attack down the left and from the following corner O’Connor rose high but couldn’t keep his header down.

N’Mai then held off Sims down the Salford left to pull back for Smith to slot home but the referee’s assistant rightly adjudged that the ball had gone out of play in the build up.

There were a further two changes for the hosts fifteen minutes from time when Lund ad Liam Humbles replaced Watson and Connor McAleny.

Simon Weaver responded with a quadruple change of his own with Josh Falkingham, Josh March, Levi Sutton and Sam Folarin being introduced for Dooley, Cornelius, Muldoon and Odoh.

At 2-2 both sides were still pressing hard for the final goal to take home all three points but despite plenty of effort and endeavour neither side could fashion a clear opportunity in the final stages until March beat Carins to the ball and fired at goal, but the substitutes effort fell agonisingly wide.