Salford to rain on County’s Parade!
SALFORD City’s promotion credentials will face a real test today as they travel to Newport County in League Two.
Last season’s play-off finalists haven’t lost at Rodney Parade in the league since February and have lost just twice all season.
The Ammies head into the match on the back of an impressive October in which they picked up 10 of a possible 15 points, although it came on the back of a slow start to life in the Football League.
And Salford manager Graham Alexander believes his players new and old – are now finding their feet in his system and in the league.
He told M.E.N. Sport: “I think the players that were here last season have understood it quicker.
“We played this way quite a few times last season, for the majority of the season, so they’ve picked it up quite quickly.
“The other lads who weren’t here last year, it’s taken them a few games to get up to speed with what we want but they’re intelligent guys, they’re good footballers so there won’t be any issues there.
“It’s all about making sure whoever comes into the team understands what’s expected of them.
“We try to keep it really clear for them and be consistent with it, and I think that’s the key for consistency and improvement.”
Today’s match is the start of a tough run of fixtures for the Ammies, but Alexander believes he has enough resource in his squad to cope with it. In fact, his main worry is about some players not getting enough game time. He said: “We feel that we’ve got a competitive squad, but sometimes when the starting team isn’t changing that much players can go a little bit stale with not getting match fitness.
“That’s why it was so important to organise the game we’ve had this week [training game behind closed doors].
“Except for one player they all played 90 minutes so that will do them a world of good because we work them as hard as we can when they’re not playing to make sure they’re in the best shape possible.
“That’s so when they get their opportunity, they’re ready to take it, it’s not going to take them three or four games to get up to speed.
“We know it’s important that each week we’ve got more than 11 players to pick from,” Alexander added.
Mark Howard’s emergency loan from Blackpool was extended earlier this week as Chris Neal nears a comeback, but there has been a bit of illness throughout the Salford squad this week, meaning Alexander will have to make a late call on his starting eleven.
STOCKPORT County host Woking in the National League today with the Hatters coming into the tie on the back of an unbeaten October, writes CONNOR WHITLEY. On Tuesday they ended the month by holding league leaders Bromley to a 2-2 draw away from home. Woking sit just two points outside the play-off positions despite not winning since August, and manager Jim Gannon wants his side to show they are ‘capable of matching teams on a promotion push.’ Altrincham are in National League North action as they travel to Kings Lynn Town, who sit in fifth despite being without a victory in their last four games. However, the Robins have only lost once in their last four fixtures. Elsewhere in the National League North,
Curzon Ashton travel to Gainsborough Trinity. Curzon are in poor form have only picked up one point in their last nine games. They sit on nine points along with two other sides, as Kettering Town on eight points prop up the table.
FC United are in Northern Premier action as they host Gainsborough Trinity, who sit second bottom in the table.
The Rebels beat Radcliffe Borough 3-0 on Tuesday to progress to the second round of the FA Trophy and make it six victories in their last eight games in all competitions. Ashton United are on the road as they travel to Buxton in the Northern Premier. Both sides have won their last two games and the Robins are only two places above Buxton in 18th place.