TOWN 0-1 Salford City - Late heartbreak sees Town fall to defeat

Town suffered heartbreak as an injury time header from substitute Matty Lund consigned them to defeat that will be tough to swallow for Simon Weaver and his side.

It had looked like the game was heading towards a hard fought goalless draw before Lund rose to head home from a free-kick.

Both sides enjoyed strong passages of player, with a number of chances created but with both defences determined to let nothing past them.

Town were boosted by the return of midfielders Alex Pattison and Stephen Dooley to the starting line-up and also handed a debut to Sam Folarin, who arrived in a deadline-day move from Middlesbrough. Defender Rory McArdle also returned to the bench for the first time this season.

The visitors made two changes from their previous game, a 2-2 home draw against Crawley, with Ethan Galbraith and Odin Bailey replacing Lorent Tolaj and Conor McAleny.

The sides kicked off after a minutes silence was observed and the national anthem was played to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

New boy Folarin was soon in the action, showing a glimpse of his pace as he sped down the left and delivered a cross that was met well by Luke Armstrong but lacked the direction needed.

And then a minute he tenaciously won possession and fired off a shot from 20 yards that was not far wide of Tom King’s right-hand post.

The Ammies responded when Bailey found space and shot that took a deflection and Pete Jameson did well to turn wide.

Alex Pattison found himself clean through on 10 minutes but scuffed his shot that allowed King to comfortably save.

It was a start full of intent and purpose from Town but Salford began to show why they are well positioned in the table, coming into the game with a spell of possession that saw them utilise the space out wide.

On 20 minutes Ryan Leak was booked for a late foul on Folarin when Town’s winger was bombing on down the right-hand side. The resulting free-kick its way to Pattison but his shot flashed just over.

Josh Coley was booked on 25 minutes for dissent, but could have redeemed himself moments later when he broke the offside trap to find himself one on one with King. A moments hesitation cost him dearly though and the visitors keeper was able to come out and clear the danger.

Ethan Galbraith was the focal point for much of the Salford productivity and he struck well but wide from the edge of the area.

Five minutes later Bailey struck powerfully from distance that Jameson snaffled at the second attempt, before Callum Hendry tested Town’s keeper. Salford were now very much in the game, which was becoming more and more open.

Town’s assistant manager Paul Thirlwell went into the book on the stroke of half-time for vociferously questioning a refereeing decision.

Less than a minute after the break and Salford should have been ahead. An early corner was met purposefully by Theo Vassell, but he made too clean a connection and the effort whistled inches over the bar.

Elliott Watt followed this up with a drive from the edge of the area but he failed to keep his effort down.
Odin Bailey went into the book after 50 minutes for a late tackle that felled Dooley.

Weaver made the first change of the evening on the hour mark when Matty Daly replaced Stephen Dooley, a move that saw Pattison drop into a deeper role in midfield.

Ibou Touray then followed Leak and Bailey into the book when he tripped Pattison before Lund replaced Galbraith.

Town responded well to a spell of good Salford pressure but Pattison fired high and wide when a corner was cleared directly to him with twenty minutes remaining.

Folarin’s pace was again evident when he blazed past Leak into the Salford area but struck his effort into the side netting. The debutant was replaced soon after with Danny Grant introduced for his home debut.
Pattison then fired wide as Town sensed an opportunity for all three points as the game headed into the final quarter of an hour.

Miles Welch-Hayes stood strong at the other end to prevent Hendry from crafting an opportunity with the visitors also harbouring hopes snatching the win.

As the encounter ticked over towards the final ten minutes Watson curled an effort narrowly past Jameson’s crossbar with the game increasingly becoming an end to end contest.

Jack Muldoon replaced Coley with the Ammies bringing on Tolaj and Matt Smith for Bailey and Hendry.

The defeat was Town’s fourth in succession in the league but they showed plenty of positive signs for the coming weeks where further stiff tests await.

TOWN: Jameson, Ramsay, Welch-Hayes, Mattock, Richards, Burrell, Dooley (Daly, 60), Coley (Muldoon, 84), Pattison, Folarin (Grant, 75), Armstrong.

Substitutes: Oxley, McArdle, Austerfield, Angus, Muldoon.

Booked: Coley (25)

Salford City: King, Touray, Lowe, Watt, Watson, Hendry (Smith, 85), Bailey (Tolaj, 85), Galbraith (Lund, 65), Bolton. Leak, Vassell.

Subs not used: Chapman, Smith, Jenkins Berkoe, O’Brien.

Booked: Leak (20), Bailey (50), Touray (63).

Goal: Lund (90+4)

Referee: Ben Toner.

Attendance: 1,350.