Salford City football Club

Salford City need to beat Leeds United’s U21 team in their final group game and hope that already qualified Tranmere Rovers overcome Oldham Athletic if progress to the knockout stages of the EFL Trophy is to be secured. An entertaining game at the Peninsula Stadium was decided by a goal in each half for the visitors although a young Salford side gave a very decent account of themselves.

Donald Love, Aramide Oteh and academy graduate Ben Rydel all made their first Salford City starts as manager Gary Bowyer took the opportunity to have a look at some of his squad players.

Both sides looked keen to push men forward from the start although we had to wait until the 8th minute for a first real effort on goal. Andy Smith launched a long ball from just inside his own half that dropped to the right-hand side of Tranmere’s area. Oteh almost got there, but Tom Davies nipped across just in time to knock the ball behind for a corner. The Ammies quickly won another on the far side and Rydel’s delivery dropped beyond the far post where skipper for the night Jordan Turnbull got in a tightly angled header. Not a bad effort, although the ball dropped over the bar, brushing the roof of the net.

Salford had edged possession during the opening stages yet fell behind in the 15th minute. Left-back Joe Maguire pushed forward on the left before getting in a gem of a cross that found in space. The midfielder made no mistake, planting a header past Jeacock to open the scoring.

A goal that came against the general run of play, but Rovers could have extended their lead just 4 minutes later. Liam Feeney crossed from the right with Nicky Maynard – under defensive pressure - not quite able to apply a finishing touch from the edge of the 6-yard box.

The balance of play had switched in favour of the visitors and in the 24th minute Nathaniel Knight-Percival poked a pass to Paul Glatzel on the right-hand side of the area. The Liverpool loanee curled a left-footer towards goal and Jeacock had to go full-length to his right to push the ball outside the far post.

It was Maynard’s turn next as he tried a 22-yarder from left-of-centre, but that one was easier for Jeacock as he made a simple catch at the far post.

Possession of the ball was even, but the chances were going the way of Rovers. Thirteen minutes before half-time Feeney’s cross from the left was nodded behind by Tylor Golden as Glatzel closed in.

The Ammies hadn’t really threatened seriously since Turnbull’s header but they put together a good passing move, with the ball worked out to Kelly Nmai on the left. His cross dropped to the far side of the area where Rydel hit a rising effort from an acute angle that cleared the target.

At the other end Tranmere almost prised open the home defence again after a Feeney cross from the left. Glatzel headed back inside from the far post with the ball falling perfectly for Maguire, about 10 yards out. The full-back already had an assist in the bag and should have added a goal yet was left disappointed as he miscued a low effort wide of Jeacock’s left-hand upright.

That was about that for a lively first half and the points were still up for grabs as the teams made their way back to the dressing rooms.

HALF-TIME: SALFORD CITY 0 TRANMERE ROVERS 1

The second half would produce rather less in the way of goalscoring chances although Salford could have notched a spectacular leveller just 4 minutes after the restart. Rydel’s free-kick was headed out as far as Love who almost initiated some witty headlines with an 18-yard volley that whistled just wide of Joe Murphy’s right-hand post.

A great effort from the former Shrewsbury Town man and Salford would look to press during the early part of the half. In the 53rd minute Brandon Thomas-Asante was sent tumbling by a challenge and picked himself up to take the free-kick. From a central position and somewhere around 25 yards out the striker got dip on the shot but not quite enough to trouble Murphy.

Matt Sargent almost got clear soon after that, only to be stopped in his tracks by a solid challenge from Knight-Percival.

On the hour Salford made a couple of changes, with Corrie Ndaba on for Turnbull and Alex Denny replacing Love. Tranmere manager Micky Mellon responded with a couple of his own, including the introduction of former Ammie Mani Dieseruvwe. For a while the game turned a little bit tetchy, with a rash of yellow cards handed out by the referee and an accompanying pause in the generally creative football we’d been seeing previously.

Dieseruvwe’s first contribution was to pick up a yellow for a heavy challenge on Thomas-Asante and a couple of minutes later Calum MacDonald followed him into the book for a foul on the same player.

In the 71st minute Rydel had a go from a free-kick on the left-hand angle of the box, with Murphy forced to move smartly to his right to push the effort away. Six minutes later it was Liam Loughlan’s turn – this time from a free-kick out on the right. Not a bad effort but on this occasion Rovers’ skipper Murphy wasn’t called into action as the ball hit the side-netting.

Salford were in need of a goal, but it was Dieseruvwe who almost provided one with 8 minutes left to play. A Tranmere corner from the left wasn’t cleared, with the ball falling for the big striker about 15 yards out. A low shot followed, with Jeacock reacting well to deflect the ball away to safety off his right boot.

Feeney lifted an 18-yarder over the bar soon afterwards and Tranmere secured the points – and qualification from the group – with 4 minutes left on the clock. Mark Duffy’s pass picked out STEPHEN WALKER on the right and the substitute did well to get into the box before placing a low 15-yarder to Jeacock’s right and inside the far post.

Salford – as they had all evening – worked hard to find a response but were unable to test Murphy during the time that remained. In the penultimate minute of the 90 Watson crossed from the right for Dieseruvwe to lift a first-time effort over the bar and that would prove to be the last notable incident of the evening.

FULL-TIME: SALFORD CITY 0 TRANMERE ROVERS 2

In the final analysis Tranmere were worth their win, having put away two nicely taken goals and created a number of other decent opportunities. Salford played some good football and there were impressive performances from some of the lad hoping to force themselves more prominently into Gary Bowyer’s mind.
As at Oldham in the first group game, plenty of decent build-up yielded too few efforts on goal, with most of the home side’s best moments coming from set pieces.

The Ammies’ final group game is in 4 weeks’ time when Leeds United’s U21s make the short trip to the Peninsula Stadium. Salford need to win and hope that Tranmere Rovers can beat Oldham at Prenton Park the seven days later. Not quite entirely in Ammie hands then, but Salford City are still in with a real chance of progression to the first knockout round.

Attendance: 720 (238 Tranmere Rovers)