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1st TEAM
NELSON
1 SALFORD CITY 3
NWCFL DIV 1, 27th FEB
Salford got out of jail at bottom
of the table Nelson
on Wednesday night. A goal down at the interval the
only encouragement to be taken from a poor first
half
performance was the dismissal of Nelson’s dangerous
right winger Ryan Cross after forty minutes. City’s
formation was altered at the start of the second half with the introduction of Tommy Turner and a return to a four-four-two
line up.
Salford started the night on the back foot with Nelson
making all the
early running although in City’s first
attack of the match home keeper Billy Carrington
blocked a shot from John
Robinson. Nelson however took
a deserved lead on twenty minutes when Cross, who had
been causing havoc down Salford’s left flank, coolly
placed the ball past debutant City keeper Martin
Campbell. Chris Keating and Martin Payne then went
close for
Nelson and Campbell pulled off a tremendous reflex
save from an attempted clearing
header from City
centre half Kenny Tudor. With half time approaching
Rob Kelly and Cross got embroiled in a tussle,
which
resulted in Cross being given his marching orders.
After the break Salford started
brightly with a
much-improved attitude and an obvious desire to get
back into the game. A number of half chances came
City’s
way but some excellent defending and solid
goalkeeping kept the home side in front. Nonetheless a
goal seemed to be
on the cards and having had a shot
blocked after fifty-five minutes Tommy Turner brought
Salford an equaliser on sixty-eight
minutes with a
great finish past Carrington. Three minutes later and City almost went in front, Turner set up Mattie Burke
but his strong shot was
blocked on the line and Robinson hit the rebound over
the crossbar. With time running out Nelson’s
centre
half Chris Keating handled the ball on the goal line
and having been sent off for his troubles Burke
dispatched
the penalty kick past Carrington to keep
Salford’s championships hopes alive with three minutes
remaining.
A minute later Turner rubbed salt into Nelson’s wounds
when he took advantage of a mix up in the Nelson
defence
to bag his second goal of the night and three
valuable points for the title aspirants.
Team: Campbell; Whitehead,
Kelly, Pendlebury, Tudor,
Cunningham, Burke, Brackenridge, Robinson, Morley,
Forrester. Subs: Turner (P), Crompton (P),
Moses (P).
ST HELENS TOWN 1 SALFORD CITY 5
NWCFL DIV 1, 12th FEB
Salford moved to the top of the Vodkat
League Division One on Tuesday night following an emphatic display against struggling St Helens Town. City were already
two goals in front at Knowsley Road before home keeper Graeme Mc Call was shown a red card after lashing out at Jon Robinson
in the penalty box just after the half hour mark. A delicate shot with the outside of his left boot from Robinson and a close range finish from Bernard
Morley had put Salford in the driving seat before Mattie Burke dispatched the spot kick. Burke completed his hat trick in the second half with two exquisite strikes. His first was
a superb left foot volley from distance followed by a sublime chip over the substitute keeper from all of thirty yards. In
between Craig Davies headed a consolation for Saints.
Team: Robertson; Whitehead, Myerscough, Kelly, Tudor, Cunningham, Burke, Brackenridge, Robinson, Morley,
Forrester. Subs: Jones (P), Brierley (P), Prescott (P).
SALFORD CITY 2
CONGLETON TOWN 1
NWCFL DIV 1, 9th FEB
07
Salford held on to take three points
in a tight, and at times niggling. encounter against well placed Congleton Town on Saturday. City were two goals in front
on the back of a good opening forty minutes but the visitors reduced the arrears just before the interval and then went on
to waste a number of scoring opportunities in an action packed second period. Two well directed Stephen Brackenridge corner kicks led to Salford’s goals. His first, on thirty
minutes was blasted into the back of the Town’s net by centre half Kenny Tudor and seven minutes later Jon Robinson
headed past Congleton keeper Stuart Heeps for the second. A good finish from visiting striker Andy Hurst when he hooked his shot into the top corner
of City keeper Andy Robertson’s net brought the visitors back into the game two minutes from the break. A well organised Congleton swung into action
straight from the re-start when Oliver Edwards took advantage of a poor Rob Kelly back pass but slammed his drive into the
crossbar. The crossbar also came to Salford’s help minutes later when it took the force of a Matt Haddrell header. On sixty-five minutes another weak back pass
forced Robertson into conceding a penalty but the keeper then pulled off a brilliant save from Haddrell’s spot kick
to keep City in front. With the Hurst – Haddrell pairing causing the home defence untold problems an equaliser always looked
on the cards but the visitors squandered another chance when Hurst missed a clear header six yards from goal. Salford got their act together again in the last ten minutes when a surging run from midfield
past four defenders deserved a goal for Steve Cunningham but he shot wide. With the clock ticking down Lathan Forrester was
upended in the visitors’ penalty area but a tired Cunningham blazed the resulting penalty kick high and wide.
Team: Robertson; Whitehead, Myerscough, Kelly, Tudor, Cunningham, Burke, Brackenridge, Robinson, Moses,
Forrester. Subs: Turner (P), Brierley (P), Morley (P).
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