Cup bid moves
COUNTY will look ahead to their best chance of making the FA Cup first round proper in four years, after a comfortable 2-0 win over Salford City set up a home tie against Bishop Auckland in the final qualifying round.
Attacker Danny Lloyd inspired the impressive victory over Salford City at Edgeley Park on Saturday, scoring a first half penalty after he was felled by Brad Barnes, before setting up Michael Clarke to seal the win after the interval.
There were two changes to the line-up which had pushed Fylde to the limit four days prior - with Courtney Meppen-Walters and Jimmy Ball replacing Scott Duxbury, after that sickening injury suffered in the Fylde defeat, nd John Marsden in a 4-3-2-1 formation.
Hatters chief Jim Gannon noted that “something had clicked” between the fans and players after that spirited Fylde performance, and his point was certainly backed by another impressive County showing in front of over 3,000 at Edgeley Park.
The returning Ball charged down Salford’s Billy Priestley on halfway as The Hatters again pressed their opponents high, before playing in Josh Amis who could only fire wide on his weaker foot.
The constantly dangerous Lloyd was finding space in and around the Salford back four, and after his effort was deflected out for a corner, his own delivery was met intelligently by Amis at the near post, but the forward’s flicked header could only find the roof of the net.
But it didn’t take long for The Hatters to take their deserved lead on the twenty minute mark. When Lloyd charged at the Salford defence yet again, he was tripped inside the area by his former Fylde teammate Barnes - and County’s top goalscorer dusted himself down to fire confidently high into the centre of Jay Lynch’s goal.
Sam Minihan, the eventual man of the match, was performing impressively - but, in an unnatural position of left-back due to Duxbury’s injury, Michael Nottingham was finding space consistently down the Salford right as County sought to see out their lead until the half time break.
And, shortly after Mike Phenix had been denied by Ben Hinchliffe in the County goal after beating the offside trap, Nottingham saw his - and Salford’s - best chance blocked magnificently by the Hatters’ keeper.
A training ground freekick routine was dealt with by Chris Smalley’s clearing header, but the ball was soon recycled into the area, and the space was down that Salford right hand side again for Barnes roll across the face of goal.
The gangly Nottingham was waiting just yards out to collect the cross and fire at goal from pointblank range - but Hinchliffe had already charged off his line and spread himself superbly to parry the effort over the crossbar.
Salford did enjoy a short spell of possession in the opening minutes of the second half without ever really testing Hinchliffe, but as the corner count rose for The Ammies who appeared to be growing in confidence, County grabbed control of the tie yet again.
Amis was left unmarked from a Lloyd free-kick to head wide of the near post, before Courtney Meppen-Walters cut inside Barnes to fire at goal from long range - and only the deflection off Priestley carried it over the crossbar and crashing into the stantions behind the goal.
But, just moments before the hour mark, the hosts did all but seal their route into the Fourth Qualifying Round through goalscoring defender Clarke.
Amis was hauled down on the Hatters right hand