1874 Northwich vs Salford City XI

Recap

Match Report by Ryan Watson

The game started with a fast pace and lots of contested balls. Northwich with a good high press to start the game. There was a loose pass from the Salford number 5 causes a bit of pressure as the keeper does well to keep the ball in play. Reed has a great chance through at the keeper, but he bends it round the keeper, but it hits the side netting. Trialist A for Northwich is through on goal and chooses power to try and get it past the keeper but it’s a great save from the Salford keeper. Trialist A is in again but couldn’t turn it past the keeper again. The Salford keeper was keeping Salford in the game. Northwich were starting to play well creating chances, Trialist A was seeming to be in behind a lot. Diop Parra whipped in a great ball not long after the game but just missing the head of Reed to turn it home. Chances are coming for Northwich more and more in the first 30 minutes. Salford have a good moment on the ball with play with Number 10 and Number 11 having a good link up and Number 10 finding space to shoot and he does but it just goes wide of the close. Trialist A finds himself 1v1 with the Salford defender on the right-hand side and he cuts in and out but scuffs his shot and the Salford keeper comfortably saves. Salford seem to have amped up the pressure but not creating the clear-cut chances. A few long shots from the Number 10 do not causing the Northwich keeper many problems. Around 30 mins, good chances for Northwich from link up play between Diop Parra and Gardner and Gardner uses a great fake shot to create space for a shot and finesses it wide of the post.

Salford are the team, that has the last chance of the half it comes from a long ball from Salford which causes the Northwich keeper some trouble be he punches but not very far and falls to the Salford Number 10 and he slides in Number 16 who can’t square it to Number 9 and its eventually cleared before the half time whistle is blown.

A few changes are made at half time. One being a change in the Salford net and the substitute and his first touches if a nutmeg calmly under pressure from the Northwich press. Trialist B plays a good ball into Reed, he rolls his man and shoots, but it is low and saved well from the keeper. Northwich started well in the second half just like the first. Number 16 for Salford is in, but Allen saves for Northwich. A corner for Salford is cleared and falls to Trialist B for Northwich who starts a break and plays a great lobbed ball into Trialist A, and he stumbles and can’t have a clear shot and the keeper claims for Salford. A long ball from Allen, and Reed rolls his man off the ball and Salford number 5 pulls him back and gets a yellow card. More changes were made by both teams. No real clearcut chances for around 10 mins as the new players embed into the match.

Finally, the deadlock was broken though but for Salford, the ball is played through to Number 11 of Salford and rounds Allen and a shot like pass falls to Number 16 and he smashes it home from around 2 yards out. Salford now 1-0 but straight away Northwich are wanting an instant response, but the Northwich winger whips the ball towards the ball the back post and Trialist B for Northwich can’t direct his header towards goal. Trialist B was the most dangerous threat for Northwich coming more into the game and them pushing for an equaliser. In the 85^th minute, one of the best chances falls to the Northwich substitute striker and he plays his shot low after a great move from Northwich with it involving 4 players. The final chance is created by Trialist B as he is driving at the Salford defence and shoots just wide and then the referee blows the full-time whistle