Salford City 2 Stockport County 2 ( Football League 2 ) Thursday 14 March 2024

Yesterday was a day when County`s promotion push might have been severely challenged.

Not by the quality of their opponents or their position and current form in the league but by the bald fact that Karl Robinson`s Salford City side were 2-0 up at half time and County were struggling for a coherent response at the Peninsular Stadium last night.

Salford looked a fairly basic outfit wedded to lifting the ball long and high towards the County box and not much else. There was a solid reasoning behind this route one approach - that was where 23 goal Matt Smith lurked.

County should have coped, didn’t, floundering instead as a series of free headers boosted the Ammies confidence. The home sides propensity for time wasting was game long but ridiculously started early doors along with some iffy `man to man ‘marking ( Bristow forced off with a shoulder injury after half an hour just one example).

Sadly, Mr Yates the Referee proved incapable of identifying and controlling this nonsense.

The first half was appalling from County`s viewpoint and we needed a response from them on the re-start and it came with lashings of karma as Ibby Touray ( booed oafishly by the few locals who could stir themselves from the fireside TV to come to the game when he came on for Bristow ) opened the scoring 6 minutes into the half (1-2).

DC had brought Rico Richards and Todd Kane on for Odin Bailey and Lewis Cass upon the re-start and the duo were excellent – if I was impressed by Kane (loads of energy…corners pinpoint accurate in delivery) I was well pleased with what Richards produced for his manager and team- transforming the second half with a superb performance that hopefully will earn him a start at Crawley on Monday after he had existed on a disappointing diet of late largely meaningless minutes previously!

Salford were on the rack.

We ran out of gas a touch late on allowing City back in it but County deserved at least the point they won which had a definite …positive impact on the travelling County supporters present, ahead of Crawley on Monday which now seems to be not quite such a slog ( if we have learned from our first half difficulties that is !).

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It was buzzing inside the stadium well before 8pm, at the away end anyway where a big County following set their stall out loudly.

But despite offering County good support there was no sign of a quick response from the team indeed it was slightly annoying to see the high / long stuff start from Salford as they sought Matt Smith`s head with single minded purpose.

Junior Luamba was offering an option down the right for City, but it was Declan John who was first to find their allotted target with his cross 2 minutes in- Smith `s header only found the waiting Pye and any danger was no more.

But it took just 60 seconds for Salford to plough the same furrow this time via a free kick given annoyingly and erroneously in my view by Mr Y against Wootton. Again, Smith was on the end of it but his free header missed out flying straight into Ben Hinchliffe`s waiting arms.

The 4^th minute saw County reply via Sarcevic , but after his good work Bailey could only curl his effort wide of Alex Cairns ‘far post.

Salford replied through Luamba but he was way offside when he received the ball- and Mr Yates and his liner slumbered on allowing play to continue long enough for the Ammies to profit from the situation with a goal. In fairness it was a very good strike from Luke Garbutt, and it gave Ben no chance of stopping it at all- Salford were 1-0 up!

County responded pushing their opponents back but a clear foul by the extremely annoying Curtis Tilt was `missed` by Mr Yates –this would unfortunately prove to be a game long feature and despite a series of corners and much pressure for a time, it stayed 0-1!

Meanwhile, Luamba still offered his side an option but a decent run from him was blocked nicely by Bristow on 20 minutes.

County came back at Salford, Mr Yates allowing play to proceed following a foul on Bailey, but there was nothing down for the blues as Cairns kept Madden`s shot out with a neat save.

If County were beginning to respond, something of a pattern was emerging from Salford characterised by a poor foul from Smith on Pye- penalised by a free kick this time. Smith`s foul was easily spottable much else that went down from Ammies apparently wasn`t- we could see what went down clearly enough from the away end but somehow being on the spot seemed not to be helping Mr Yates and his assistants.

No matter, County kept at it – Madden sending Tanto off on a run ended by another good save by Cairns for Salford.

We were beyond the half hour now and there was an almighty `coming together` twixt Salford`s Elliott Watt and County`s Ethan Bristow- I am far from convinced of any guilt on Ethan`s part but Mr Yates, responding perhaps to the verbal excesses of the locals gave the free kick to Salford.

He had to wait quite a time before he could allow the kick to be taken as Bristow required prolonged treatment eventually being replaced by Ibby Touray who came on to a crescendo of booing from home fans.

That last action was not good, but it got worse and in familiar fashion as Smith conned the referee into awarding Salford a free kick.

That was annoying enough but Smith got on the end of the free kick to head the ball back across goal to Tilt who headed home.

We were 2-0 down and there was still 7 minutes of added time to get through!

It was probably a case now of `could we hold out at 2-0`?

Hinchliffe had to work hard to ensure it was so, doing well to claw a shot by Conor Mc Aleny round the post at one point!

But we survived!

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Some Annie Lennox in Half Time Entertainment ….

https://youtu.be/mYGsmDtVIyE?si=nn3V622U-vGeWbHw

https://youtu.be/NSkboTTTmpg?si=QWSoDmT3QZKLkaDb

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The re-start saw changes for County who now had Rico Richards and Todd Kane on for Odin Bailey and Lewis Cass and the new faces had an immediate impact- Kane looking confident testing the home side with a neat corner for starters, whilst Richards was all energy looking to link up with Tanto.

Kane`s corner was cleared, but not without fuss, Dan Chesters finding touch for Salford with the blues very much on his teams case, particularly Sarcevic who`s surging run into the Ammies box caused mayhem- Madden going close from the throw.

A foul on Horsfall put the pressure back on Salford via the free kick as a brilliant ball by Richards sent Tanto clear- he had Tilt tugging at his shirt doing well to get a shot off, but Cairns did enough to keep the strike out and keep it 0-2.

Not for long though and respite for Ammies was short lived as County came at them again Touray enjoying his karma moment silencing the home boo boys by finishing a neat move by firing a firm strike home!

It was 2-1 now and a different game as County piled the pressure on their clearly shell shocked opponents- Madden heading over from a corner with panic setting in for Salford- Tilt distinctly fortunate to still be on the park – his latest contribution , a blatant foul on Horsfall, no worse though than many before from him.

County were in command and Touray not that far away with another effort…. Richards unfortunate to see his header held by Cairns , and again to see a shot deflected for a corner by a defender as he and Wootton terrorised the home back line.

It went on….the corner wasted……Madden back on Salford`s case responding to excellent play by Wootton but disappointed to see his shot climb over the bar.

Something had to give, and it did….

. A miscue by Tilt was seized on by Wootton who then slipped a peach of a through ball into the onrushing Tanto`s path.

Tanto had a way to go and he had the irritating Tilt for company, a bad enough phenomena in itself, but he again had a firm grip on Tanto`s shirt! Plenty of excuses then should Tanto cop out but he didn`t …he was on fire…..shaking off Tilt to slot the perfect finish beyond Cairns into the net - it was 2-2 and County had parity again with the clear prospect of better to come!

Cue some dazzling play from Richards- sadly answered by a poor foul by Smith. Nothing came from the free kick.

Nothing came from Luamba`s break either with just over 20 minutes left, but he did his theatrical best collapsing in a lifeless heap in the box having got a whiff of Horsfall`s after shave.

How the home specs howled for a penalty …..they were wrong and , credit to Mr Yates he reacted properly surreptitiously waving home protests away with a flamboyant waving of both arms!

That was how it should be!

He missed a clear handball moment from Mariappa in the box though with Tanto threatening, so I am still on a downer as far as Mr Y goes!

County were still working at getting a third goal- but finding Cairns an immovable object – again foiling Madden with 15 minutes left to play.

Kane was impressing me by this point, at the back, with his corners and assured forward runs – he looked a sound addition to our squad.

For a while it was nip and tuck- Smith wasting a chance on the end of a free kick by heading over the top for Salford- Wootton finding no takers for his cross shortly after for the blues.

With Hippolyte on for Camps late on County came under pressure- possibly beginning to run out of gas which was understandable if risky in the circumstances.

County kept looking for a chance to reply but found little comfort in Mr Yates` refereeing as Salford acted out their playbook of time-wasting classics for the benefit of him and the TV audience.

Added time saw County still trying- Tanto finding Madden`s pass a tad too strong for him at 90+1…….Mc Aleny earning his corn for Salford with a vital block to stop Tanto at 90+3……Kane very nearly squeezed his corner in- Cairns just managing to keep it out on the line at 90+4.

There was time for more, Richards was still working hard and looking good, County were still trying, in the end foiled by the final whistle.

That was a good comeback that sets us up nicely motivating team and supporters for Monday`s game with Crawley.

Address any issues from the first half then……take on board the excellence of the second half and Monday is winnable.

See you there then!

Salford City line up :-

Cairns , John , Watt , Watson ( Mariappa 68), McAleny , Chesters , Garbutt ( Hendry 45 ) , Vassell , Tilt , Smith , Luamba( Lund 83).

Subs not used: Torrance , McLennan , Morton , Malcolm.

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Cass ( Kane 46) , Horsfall , Pye , Bristow ( Touray 32) , Camps ( Hippolyte 83) , Sarcevic , Bailey ( Richards 46) , Wootton , Madden.

Subs not used ; Smith , Byrne Evans.

Attendance 3827( 1355)

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