SALFORD 2 Graham: Carry On Emmanuel DIESERUVWE DOUBLE
STEVENAGE 0
GRAHAM ALEXANDER will not get carried away by Salford’s flying start to life in the Football League.
Emmanuel Dieseruvwe opened the scoring in May’s Wembley play-off final win and was the hero in Salford’s League Two curtain-raiser, with the imposing striker netting the club’s first goals.
Paul Scholes was the only member of the Class of 92 among the 3,416 in attendance for the start of a new chapter that manager Alexander was satisfied with.
“I try and stay detached from that,” the Salford boss said. “The players have to focus. The playoff final last season was a great experience of managing a big game and occasion and we did that well. It is a great start, but it’s only one game. We are trying to improve each weekend. It was good to start with a win.
“We didn’t have a point after three games last year and we still got promotion, but the win will have settled people down.” Salford never looked in any danger of the opener going awry, with Adam Rooney seeing a volleyed effort tipped onto the crossbar during a bright start. SALFORD STEVENAGE 5 ........ Shots on Target .........2 9 ........Shots off Target .........2 3 ................Corners .................7 11 ..................Fouls.................. 14 1 ................ Offsides ..................1 61.9... Passing Success ...56.8 357 .......Total Passes ........340 51.7 .........Possession ........48.3 52.1 ...Territorial Adv% ...47.9
Dieseruvwe scored Salford’s first Football League goal when turning home a cross by Scott Wiseman.
He proved a constant thorn in the side and netted again in the 48th minute after a penalty- box melee. “We understand what he brings to the team,” Alexander said. “He is a better player than people give him credit for.”
As for Stevenage, they never really got going on a day when more inj u r y is su e s compounded manager Dino Maamria’s frustration. He said: “The first game of the season is always difficult – six weeks preparation and everyone is excited. Sometimes you just learn from it and move on, but that’s not going to decide the fate of our season.” MARK COOPER lauded the impact of teenage striker Taylor Allen after he came off the bench to score a stunning winner for Forest Green.
“I knew he had a goal in him. He’s got a great leftfoot and he nearly burst the net with that strike. We think he’s one who has got a really bright future,” Cooper said.
New Oldham boss Laurent Banide said: “When you have 14 or 15 in the team who don’t arrive at the same time, it’s not easy to create a spirit.” MATT TAYLOR admitted that Exeter rode their luck after a fortunate late Ryan Bowman goal saw them beat Macclesfield at St James Park.
Nicky Law’s shot hit Bowman and flew into the net in the 88th minute.
“The goal was a scruffy one, but sometimes you need a bit of luck to go your way,” Exeter boss Taylor said.
“Ryan was in the right place at the right time.”
Macclesfield manager Sol Campbell said: “I thought we played well. We will get there.”