Trophy delight for the Ammies
SALFORD City clinched their first piece of silverware as a Football League club as they defeated Portsmouth 4-2 on penalties in the Papa John’s Trophy final at Wembley.
They held the trophy for last year’s competition - which was delayed due to the pandemic - for just 24 hours, as Sunderland won this year’s final yesterday.
League One Pompey, who were in pursuit of a second successive final victory in the competition, began nervously and the Ammies threatened an early opener when James Wilson tested Craig MacGillivray inside seven minutes.
Brandon Thomas-Asante then forced another intervention from MacGillivray, before the Portsmouth No.1 denied Wilson from close range after impressive build-up play.
Jordan Turnbull thought he had handed the Ammies a deserved opener, but his low effort on the swivel through a crowded penalty area was impressively stopped by MacGillivray once more.
An almost perfect first-half display for Salford, where Portsmouth failed to have a single effort at goal, was nearly capped off three minutes before the interval when a low Wilson strike drifted agonisingly wide of the target and beyond a despairing Ash Hunter.
An understandably displeased Kenny Jackett - hoping to lift his third EFL Trophy - made a triple substitution at half-time and Ronan Curtis nearly made an immediate impact but Salford stopper Vaclav Hladky did well to thwart the attacker.
Pompey again relied on the heroics of MacGillivray to save their blushes when the Scotsman miraculously pawed clear Ash Eastham’s powerful header from point-blank range.
As the tie edged towards the final whistle, Jackett’s third tier promotion hopefuls sparked into life and twice went close to a late winner, but Curtis miscued an audacious effort while Lee Brown’s cultured volley drifted marginally wide.
In extra time, Ryan Williams spurned a glorious chance from close range after he benefited from a Touray mistake and John Marquis skewed a strike harmlessly wide of the target from a promising position.
Substitute Mani Dieseruvwe struck the woodwork from an inventive volleyed strike on the spin, while Jordan Turnbull heroically thwarted Curtis as he raced down on goal with a lastditch sliding challenge as neither side could be separated.
A shoot-out was required to settle the competition and Salford emerged victorious after Hladky saved Curtis’ spot-kick and Jason Lowe dispatched the deciding penalty. Portsmouth yesterday sacked Jackett following the defeat.
Salford boss Richie Wellens paid tribute to his predecessor Graham Alexander – who was sacked in October – after the Scotsman led the side to the final.
“I’m not comfortable with saying I’ve delivered it (Salford’s first silverware as an EFL club),” he said.
“You have to give Graham Alexander and all the players who contributed to it last season credit because without them we wouldn’t be here, so part of the success has to go to Graham and his players.”