Like the way 3 19 promotion feels? Visitors Port Vale are enjoying a good season this time out, both in the league and in this competition... HONOURS Eccles & District League Division 2 1955-56, 1959-60 Eccles & District League Division 3 1958-59 Manchester League Division 1 1968-69 Manchester League Premier Division 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79 Northern Premier League Division 1 North 2014-15 Northern Premier League Play-Off Winners 2015-16 National League North 2017-18 National League Play-Off Winners 2018-19 Lancashire FA Amateur Cup 1971, 1973, 1975 Manchester FA Challenge Trophy 1975, 1976 Manchester FA Intermediate Cup 1977, 1979 NWCFL Challenge Cup Take your business to the next level with our 2006 award-winning employee wellbeing services CLUB ROLL President Dave Russell Chairman Karen Baird 18. Salford City vs Port Vale Secretary Andy Giblin Committee Jim Birtwistle, Pete Byram, Ged Carter, Barbara Gaskill, Terry Gaskill, Ian Malone, Frank McCauley, Paul Raven, 04 CLUB NEWS Counselling Advice Online support George Russell, Bill Taylor, Alan Tomlinson, Dave Wilson Groundsmen George Russell, Steve Thomson Graham Alexander Transfers Shop Manager Tony Sheldon CSR Co-ordinator Andrew Gordon The Gaffer shares his pre-match We are delighted to welcome Ashley Media Zarah Connolly, Ryan Deane, thoughts and expectations ahead of Hunter to the club, on loan from Will Moorcroft Photography Charlotte Tattersall, tonight’s Third Round tie. League One Fleetwood Town until the Howard Harrison end of the season. The 24-year-old made his debut in the second half First Team Manager Graham Alexander 07 on Saturday, but is ineligible tonight Assistant Manager Chris Lucketti having played for Fleetwood already Speak to one of our experts today GK Coach Carlo Nash Kit Manager Paul Rushton Match Report in the competition. Head of Performance Dave Rhodes Physiotherapist Steve Jordan A re-cap of Saturday’s loss to Walsall Our best wishes go with Jake Beesley Club Doctor Dr. Mubin Ibrahim at The Peninsula Stadium, including who has joined Solihull Moors on a Sport Science Rob Williams photos. permanent deal, having spent time on Performance Analysis Ross Duncan Director of Football Chris Casper loan with The National League club 0800 028 8712 Head of Scouting Greg Strong this season. Development Coach Warren Joyce Cover Story Head of Academy Jamie Russell Due to printing times, some players Assistant Academy Manager Lewis Craig Contains public sector information for both sides may change. For the Academy Staff Andy Badby, Josh Coulson, Luke Morgan, Joe Potts, Liam Preece, licensed under the Open Government latest players news and interviews Sam Tomkins Licence v3.0. Credit to The National keep an eye on social media and Lionesses Manager Shauna Duffy Archives as the source of the font. the website. health assured.org Programme printed by MatchDay Creative www.salfordcityfc.co.uk 4 5 Graham ALEXANDER Good evening and welcome back to The Peninsula Stadium after a short turnaround into tonight’s Leasing.com Trophy tie against Port Vale, and welcome back to John Askey, his players, staff and the visiting Vale fans and officials. We’ve made good progress in this competition so far and It’s the most difficult thing a manager faces, leaving out we’re obviously looking to continue that run if possible. players he regards highly so when I get the chance to watch these lads play, I always look forward to them showing their As before we’ve gave the opportunity to players who full potential. I hope tonight you do too. haven’t had as much game time as they’d like, or young players trying to establish themselves as first team players. Up the Ammies! What has always impressed me is the way the players have Graham. approached these ties and performed to a very high level. We need to maintain that will to win in everything we do so positive results always help. Whenever a player has the opportunity to play, he represents our club and himself and our players always take that responsibility on board. Salford City vs Port Vale www.salfordcityfc.co.uk 7 Match vs. Walsall Sky Bet League Two The Peninsula Stadium REport 04/01/20, 15:00 2020 has got off to a somewhat inauspicious start for Salford City, with the New Year’s Day setback at Grimsby followed by this home defeat at the hands of Walsall. The Saddlers went ahead before the break before adding first-time eight-yarder that spun off Neal’s gloves and Lavery a second early in the second half. Graham Alexander’s slid in to reach the loose ball. The Salford keeper got his side would dominate the rest of the game, creating a body in the way to make a brave, blocking save inside his number of chances but in the end only had Brandon six-yard box only for luck to let him down again. The loose Thomas-Asante’s goal to show for their efforts. ball dropped towards Neal’s left-hand upright with Gordon arriving first to slam a close-range finish into the net, despite The very early stages of the match would be quiet, but a valiant attempt by the grounded keeper to stop it. Two Craig Conway went close for Salford in the seventh minute. instances of so-so defending had cost the Ammies dear, The Scottish winger cut in from the left onto his right foot, but they displayed a real intent to claw their way back into hitting a rising drive that only just cleared the bar. the game. The Ammies went even closer just a few minutes later after Club top scorer Adam Rooney came on for Armstrong short- Conway rolled a free-kick wide on the right short for Ibou ly after Gordon’s goal and the balance of the game began Touray. The cross was aimed at the near post where Luke to tip Salford’s way. In the 58th minute Conway launched Armstrong got up to challenge, with the ball dropping a ball into the box from deep and wide on the right, with towards the edge of the box. Liam Hogan – making his Roberts forced to stretch and tip away as it threatened to 100th Salford appearance this afternoon – nodded towards drop under his crossbar. the far post where Josh Gordon failed to clear. Jake Jervis pounced on the loose ball, slamming in first-time effort from Salford were knocking on the door and in the 62nd minute the angle of the six-yard box that beat Liam Roberts only to Richie Towell’s short pass found Conway on the right. This flick off the top of the bar and out of play. time his delivery – again from a relatively deep position – was a peach, dropping over Dan Scarr and to the edge The Saddlers had been second best so far, but they went of the six-yard box. Thomas-Asante had lost his man and ahead in the 27th minute. Wes McDonald’s powerful run adjusted his body shape expertly to meet the cross with a on the left took him into the Salford area and the low cross downward five-yarder that gave Roberts no hope at all of towards the far post was a good one. Caolan Lavery slid in making a save. Plenty of time left for the Ammies to chase to make contact from about four yards out, with Chris Neal an equaliser, and Rooney tried an ambitious effort from managing to push the bouncing effort back out. Fortune distance and slightly right of centre. It was decently struck frowned on the Ammies’ keeper as the ball came off but Roberts scampered to his right where he scooped up Lavery’s knee as he sought to regain his feet, and this time the ball. it dropped wide of the grounded Neal and over the line. In the 80th minute Joey Jones took possession just inside A goal against the run of play and Salford had to wait until the Walsall half and was able to advance through the the 35th minute for their first real chance to level the scores. middle. With nobody closing him down the midfielder hit a Thomas-Asante had a go from distance, hitting a swerving pacey rising shot from 30 yards out that was on course for effort that Roberts had to push around his post, at the Roberts’ top left-hand corner. The Saddlers keeper needed expense of a corner. to produce something special to keep this one out, and he did that, diving to his left to tip the ball over the crossbar. Thomas-Asante had the ball in the net for Salford early in the second half, but the offside flag had already been raised In the fifth of six minutes added on Salford were awarded a against Armstrong who had headed the ball on to him. free-kick, with Conway dropping a great delivery from left- Unlucky for the Ammies and in the 52nd minute they found of-centre into the penalty area. Cameron Burgess got away themselves chasing a two-goal deficit. Again McDonald from James Clarke, getting in a downwards header that was the architect, making ground on the left before rolling a appeared destined to rescue a last-gasp point. Roberts had low, square delivery into the box. Josh Gordon flicked a low, other ideas, dropping down to his left to push the ball away. www.salfordcityfc.co.uk 9 Superfast Fibre £21.95 a month, fixed for 24 months SAVING. IT’S NOT JUST FOR CHRIS NEAL. Salford City Walsall Shots Corners 1.