Salford City football Club

Salford City and Crawley Town shared the spoils after a rain drenched 90 minutes at the Peninsula Stadium. Following a goalless first half another cracking James Wilson strike put the Ammies ahead, but they would be pegged back with just less than 20 minutes to play. Difficult conditions for the players today and in the end a point apiece is probably a fair enough result.

There were no changes to the side that started Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Southend United and with the rain already making its presence felt, the game got underway. Crawley started well and the first effort on goal came in the 3rd minute when Jake Hesketh planted an 18-yarder straight at Václav Hladký. Salford had their first opportunity 5 minutes later when Ian Henderson could only head Brandon Thomas-Asante’s cross over the bar.

Wilson tried an effort from close to 30 yards out just past the quarter hour, but Town keeper Glenn Morris was able to save comfortably. It was Thomas-Asante’s turn next as he cut in from the right before hitting a shot outside the near post.

Midway through the half a long pass from Jordan Turnbull, just inside his own half on the left, dropped for Henderson on the far angle of the penalty area. A neat pass found Thomas-Asante inside the box but his angled effort from the right was both high and wide of goal.

Salford were beginning to take a hold on the game, yet the visitors could never be discounted as an attacking force. A nippy counter-attack finished when Tom Nichols picked out Jack Powell on the edge of the box but a tame, curling effort proved simple for Hladký to deal with.

There was plenty of effort on display and some decent football, yet clear-cut chances were proving hard to come by. Seven minutes before the break Oscar Threlkeld was booked following a challenge on Jake Hessenthaler. The free-kick, from the left, was met by Jordan Tunnicliffe towards the far post and 8 yards out. The header down was decent, but Hladký had positioned himself well to make the save.

HALF-TIME: SALFORD CITY 0 CRAWLEY TOWN 0

The rain would get even worse during the second half and despite some more neat football, it was a definitely a case of defences on top for a while. Ten minutes after the restart Crawley almost produced an opening goal after Tunnicliffe’s pass found skipper George Francomb on the right. A pass inside gave Nichols an opening, but Ash Eastham reacted quickly, getting in a very timely block.

A decent opportunity for Town but a minute or so afterward the home side scored a goal of real quality. There seemed to be relatively little danger as WILSON picked up possession right of centre, just outside the area and with back to goal. Crawley are not the first team this season to be lulled into a false sense of security in this sort of situation and could only watch as the former Manchester United man turned inside onto his left foot before directing a low shot beyond the despairing reach of Morris and inside the far post.

Another great strike from Wilson and the Ammies had taken the lead a little bit against the run of play. That lead could have been doubled just before the hour after Francomb lost possession, allowing Henderson’s forward pass through the inside-left channel to find Wilson. The shot came in but this time it rose to harmlessly clear the crossbar from about 20 yards out.

Just after that chance Di’Shon Bernard replaced Threlkeld in Salford’s midfield, marking the Manchester United loanee’s Ammie debut.

In the 62nd minute Salford almost established a two-goal cushion after Ibou Touray’s ball up the line on the left sent Wilson off on a run. A low pass was played across the edge of the 6-yards box but Thomas-Asante was stretching as he slid in to make contact and his effort spun wide of Morris’ left-hand upright.

This was proving to be a good spell for Salford and Henderson released Hunter on the left, with Morris forced to tip the cross away from Wilson who picked up the loose ball on the far side. A low pass back inside found Hunter just outside the box but from a decent central position he could only lift a shot over the bar.

The downpour was now torrential, yet Crawley’s spirits weren’t dampened and they grabbed an equaliser with 18 minutes to play. Sam Matthews did well on the right for Town, jockeying for position inside the box before hitting an angled effort that was pushed away to the far side by Hladký. The angle was difficult for FRANCOMB and he did well to guide a rising finish inside the far post.

Salford were left to rue the recent chances that hadn’t been put away and they would have more defending to do as the visitors fancied their chances of taking all 3 points. In the 76th minute Max Watters found Sam Ashford who was brought down by Tom Clarke just outside the penalty area. Powell’s free kick from a central position seemed to take a nick off the defensive wall and Hladký, committed to his right, reacted superbly to get a touch that deflected the ball to safety.

The in-form Czech keeper was forced into action again a couple of minutes later after Matthews’ ball in from the right got a touch from Francomb. Hladký was alert again, getting down to his left to push the effort away.

As the game entered its final 10 minutes Henderson almost worked his way into the box on a right-of-centre run only for Tony Craig to slide in and poke the ball low towards his own goal. Morris had to go full length to tip that one wide, but the corner that followed was cleared.

Town went ever so close to a second goal in the 82nd minute after a free-kick from wide on the right was met by Clarke at the far post. The former PNE defender’s headed clearance dropped just outside the box were Hessenthaler launched a tremendous rising drive that cleared Hladký’s right-hand post by a matter of inches.

Both sides were looking for a winner as full time approached and Henderson’s low diagonal ball from the left appeared destined for Thomas-Asante at the far post. It was a case of Francomb to the rescue as Crawley’s captain cleared deftly with his left foot, just in the nick of time.

Town forced a corner late on and a few decent balls were delivered from the flanks, albeit without Hladký being unduly troubled. It was still teeming down as the game entered 4 minutes of time added on and in the first of those Henderson’s pass sent Touray on a left flank run. There was space and time to get the delivery right but Touray was left holding his head in disappointment as his cross dropped over both Wilson and Thomas-Asante.

FULL-TIME: SALFORD CITY 1 CRAWLEY TOWN 1

Salford’s wait for a competitive win over Crawley Town goes on, and there can be few complaints about the result this afternoon. The constant rainfall didn’t encourage flowing football and both sides did well in the circumstances, with the final quarter of the game in particular producing some very decent chances.

The Ammies will be disappointed not to have made it two home wins in a week, but they remain undefeated at The Peninsula Stadium and must look at getting 3 points on the board when struggling Oldham Athletic provide the Halloween opposition. Before then comes a visit to second-bottom Scunthorpe United on Tuesday, with the Iron currently on a run of 5 successive league defeats.

There are no easy games in League Two of course, but there are definitely points up for grabs over the next seven days...