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.
