Cod Almighty | Match Report

by Sarah Barber

13 October 2024

Town lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation from right to left as follows: Smith; Cass, Tharme, McJannet, Hume; McEachran; SvanǷórsson, Barrington, Khouri, Gardner; Rose.

Harvey Rodgers was serving his suspension after being sent off in the mauling by Doncaster Rovers last Saturday. Since the PFSA has the right to suspend a player for dissent for two games, I guess he and we are lucky that his double-dissent counted as one match. Justin Obikwu was left off the bench. Nevertheless, in the rain and the wind 1,312 (plus dog in a car-park) turned up to the usual sound of Ewan MacColl, russet leaves fluttering down past the gasworks, the canal and the red corrugated portakabin. Town fans were in high spirits – one of us for every two-and-three-quarter Ammies – and a special shout-out to the families making the trip, including those of Town players, with a higher than usual proportion of women. It really made a difference to the feel of the game and compensated for the general drizzliness.

First Half: Dirty Old Town
Town kicked off facing the home ('West') stand and played it for a first touch to Smith. Barely had we had chance to blink before he had hoisted the ball up towards Gardner, eventually taken up by Barrington in front of goal, who moved out wide to the left corner of the Salford 18-yard area and swept it back across goal and through keeper Jones's legs at his near post. 1-0 up in less than a minute. This is Town, so there followed ten minutes of noisy bravado and jumping combined with experiential stoicism of a not-expecting-it-to-last nature.

Sure enough, it took them ten minutes to warm up, but once they did, Salford had skill and pace. Both defences looked vulnerable and there was far too much head tennis in the midfield. Kelly N'Mai down the Salford left had the better of Cass for speed, but the loping one had an excellent game and managed to neutralise him for the most part. Stockton up front was dangerous and prepared to take the ball out to the right. There were several Salford shots on target and balls back and forward over Smith's goal with that foreboding sense of only-a-matter-of-time, before Stockton headed in one of those loose balls having got ahead of Doug Tharme.

We tensely sat through some end-to-end stuff. Both defences seemed permeable; both sets of wings were used to good effect. Town played crossfield: Salford ran their lines. We were speculating how many goals might go in at both ends.

There were only two minutes of added time. There wasn't a great deal different about the ball that McJannet picked up deep in the Grimsby half, managing to find Khouri. Khouri played it wide to SvanǷórsson on the Grimsby right. But he ran it into the Salford area and after several attempts Barrington's shot took a deflection into the Salford goal low to the left. A goal in the first minute and the last minute of added time. The sun came out.

Second Half: Not quite on fire, but smoking
Both teams came out unchanged for the second half and for the first fifteen minutes, Town looked bright and dangerous.

This was not to last. McEachran was the target of many a crunching tackle (one of which was from McAleny, who had already been booked in the first half) and after 57 minutes he was on the ground receiving medical attention and then substituted by Ainley. The Town fans remained in good form despite the onslaught and decided to bait players like Mnoga, Salford's throw expert, apt to creep forward a good ten yards if not minded. Salford dialled up the assault by replacing four midfield with four attacking legs.

While the second half was not without Town attack, it didn't seem that way. There were throws from the left of us and throws from the right. What wasn't a throw was a corner. Town thought they had better strengthen their defence, replacing SvanǷórsson with Tyrell Warren to resort to five at the back. Still the Town fans remained cheery. The dangerous, but tired Stockton and Austerfield came off and Salford refreshed its midfield.

With ten minutes of play left Town also had a major overhaul taking off Barrington, Gardner (taken a knock) and Rose, for Carson, Wilson and Pyke. Smith punched; Smith kicked; Smith parried; Smith smothered; Smith tipped over. It was an anxious time, not aided by the indication of seven minutes of added time, all of which Salford used to batter the Town goal.

But to no avail. Town gained another away win (really not used to this). Salford had two penalty shouts, particularly when Warren got in the way of N'Mai, with the referee (Jason Miles) impassive on both occasions. Salford coach, Karl Robinson, however, was apoplectic, claiming "it's impossible" for his team to have lost. Robinson railed at Miles for not giving the N'Mai penalty and implied Town had been dirty (Grimsby won the yellow card count, but only by four to three). It's pressure, ain't it, having the Class of '92 over your shoulder. "We did you a kipper again" said a Town fan walking away from the Peninsula scout hut. But nevertheless, Salford chortled all the way home; maybe because we are Town and we're not quite right, but we’re close enough.

Town man of the match. Take your pick of three: Smith for keeping all but one ball out; Cass for cutting out the attacks down the Salford left (and taking a yellow card for time-wasting at throw-ins, whereas he was frustrated by no-one moving into space); or Barrington for the goals.