Daily Mail

SALFORD LOOK A CLASS ACT

- LAURIE WHITWELL at New Meadow

ThE sound from either end of the ground was similar, and despite 33 league places separating these teams, the competitio­n on the pitch was well matched too.

‘ salop, salop’ chanted the home fans. ‘salford, salford,’ came the reply from those in the away stand, a cry that has been getting louder ever since the Class of 92 bought 50 per cent of the club. Judged on this performanc­e, it will be heard in the Football League before long.

This was a curious Fa Cup first-round tie, where the team from two divisions above could not necessaril­y be considered favourites. salford are spending big money, and have a budget roughly the same as their shropshire hosts. irish internatio­nal adam Rooney, salford’s star striker, on wages of £ 4,000 per week, is reputedly paid double shrewsbury’s top-earner.

While shrewsbury are battling gravity to stay in League One, salford are using rocket-boosters to shoot for promotion from the National League. These two sides could be in the same division next season.

That would be sad for shrewsbury, a club who were within 90 minutes of playing Championsh­ip football this campaign. They performed miracles to reach May’s play- off final before losing to Rotherham.

Manager Paul hurst left for ipswich and John askey has been unable to replicate the magic. some fans have seen enough. Their team sits 18th in the third tier; a last-minute winner at Wimbledon last week may have saved askey’s job. ‘supporters are always going to be vocal,’ askey said. ‘What they have to understand is that salford are not a normal non-League team.’

shrewsbury were up against a side in form. Graham alexander has overseen a run of 18 matches unbeaten in all competitio­ns, with his side third in the National League.

alexander’s last job was with scunthorpe. Recruiting a manager of that experience underlines the ambition of Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul scholes, Nicky Butt, and Phil Neville. They want success and are not minded to wait, hence the investment.

askey knows you can get into the Football League without splashing the cash. he won the National League at Macclesfie­ld last season on one of the division’s smallest budgets. But salford’s ultimate aspiration­s go beyond that. They have been promoted three times in four seasons.

so this was a useful barometer of where they are at right now. For the most part, they were the better team. The groans in the stands because of shrewsbury’s apparent allergy to possession were growing when the hosts took the lead in the 25th minute.

Fejiri Okenabirhi­e got to the byline and chipped a cross that goalkeeper Chris Neal only wafted into the path of Ollie Norburn, who controlled with his chest and drove a finish through the forest of salford legs. The lead lasted only two minutes, despite the stupendous efforts of steve arnold. The shrewsbury goalkeeper produced a magnificen­t save from point-blank range when Danny Whitehead connected on the volley to Danny Lloyd’s deep cross.

But it was all in vain. From the corner Lloyd’s left foot struck true again and this time Rooney headed in at the near post.

‘This is the highest opposition we’ve ever come up against,’ said alexander. ‘We can hold our heads high.’

 ?? MI NEWS & SPORT ?? Cashing in: Rooney got Salford’s equaliser
MI NEWS & SPORT Cashing in: Rooney got Salford’s equaliser

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