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Salford home preview for Saturday

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Salford home preview for Saturday

Postby Sweden Stag » Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:49 pm

Following the hard-fought ground-out 1-0 home victory against Carlisle last Tuesday night, the Stags are at headquarters again. And our weekend oppontents Salford City should have played this week, but their Wednesday night game at Barrow had to be postponed due to a water-logged Holker Street pitch.

Last season, Salford lost just once at home, fewer than any other side. But two things contributed to Salford just missing out on the playoffs. The first thing was loads of home draws. In fact, eleven home fixtures (but not the one against the Stags late on) ended in stalemates. Just one victory in those draws had seen Salford leapfrogging three sides in the playoff zone due to a superior goal difference. The second thing contributing was Salford’s away form. Despite conceding just 19 goals on the road, only surpassed by then Champions Cheltenham on 18, Salford lost twelve games on the road, more than eleven sides below them, even including relegated Southend.

One of Salford’s twelve away reverses did the Stags inflict early on this year, as two Stags first half-goals were enough to register a 2-1 victory, more clearcut than the scoreline suggested. It was also revenge for the home defeat in the 2019-20 season, a defeat which highlighted the Stags’ problems against newly-promoted sides as Salford out of four shots on target scored twice and won to a 2-1 scoreline at One Call. But this was also due to poor defending against a then new side to preview in their EFL debut season in which they were in tenth position when play was halted. The halting of last season also meant that the away game at Salford neither was played nor even previewed, as that fixture became the first one not to be previewed at all as well as the game at Salford was normally due to be played on March 17, 2020, three days efter the cancelled fixture against Crewe Alexandra at One Call.

This season, Salford have been disappointing. Their low-scoring games have prevailed, and they have already lost twice at home. And last Sunday, they also crashed out of the FA Cup at home thanks to a 2-0 defeat against Chesterfield, meaning that Salford missed out of a bumper away game against Chelsea. Instead, Chesterfield will travel to Stamford Bridge in January. More on the FA Cup third round will be previewed when our home game against Middlesbrough is rife for previewing.

Just a few seasons ago, Salford City played in the Northern Premier League, finishing third there as late as in the 2015-16 season, eventually winning the playoff final against Workington after winning the NPL Division One North the previous campaign.

Well in their first Conf North campaign in 2016-17 (after having kayoed Notts County and earned a replay against Hartlepool in the FA cup in 2015-16), Salford finished fourth but lost the playoff semifinal to FC Halifax Town. In the 2017-18 campaign, Salford were crowned Conf North Champions six points ahead of Harrogate Town. In that campaign, Salford faced ex-league clubs like Boston, Kidderminster, York City, Darlington, Southport and Stockport. Bradford PA might have been added, but the current Bradford PA club is a successor to the one who were voted out in favour of Cambridge United way back in 1970 and that Bradford club did only face the Stags on nine occasions in League history.

In the National League, Salford finished in third position after winning nine out of their final twelve fixtures. And in the playoffs, they first beat Eastleigh on penalties, the went on to beat AFC Fylde to a 3-0 scoreline in the final to became the first side to go from National League North to League Two in consecutive seasons. Incredibly enough, Salford’s first-ever National League fixture was against Leyton Orient, a 1-1 home draw. But that was not the first time the promoted sides to be met on the opening day as the Stags faced Newport at home on the opening day of the 2012-13 seasons.

Even in the last few seasons, three players with previous Stags experience have played for Salford. The first one was Simon Grand, who played a handful Stags fixtures around 2010, then represented Salford in 2016-17. Grand played for Chester in Conf North last season before play was halted.

The second Salford connection needs no introduction. The tale is of Matt Green, who shot the Stags back into the EFL in 2013 by virtue of loads of goals, most notably the injury-time winner at Hereford and the penalty against Wrexham which sealed the return. Add to that, goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup in January 2013 as well. After being released by Lincoln City, Green played 21 games for Salford, six of those as sub, and netted four times.

The third connection played for Salford 25 times in their inaugural EFL campaign and came last season on as sub on thirteen occasions, starting once but played for Tranmere Rovers against the Stags in late October. The tale is of Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. After his loan spell at the Stags late on in the 2015-16 campaign, Dieseruvwe also played for Boston and Kidderminster.

Elsewhere, Swindon will travel to Barrow for the first time since our FA Cup giant-killing season way back in 1969, and Northampton will face Harrogate Town for the first time ever which means another new club in the Cobblers’ extensive opposition list as they have played every single playing at all in the EFL since the current League Two was inaugurated way back in the 1958-59 season.

The home victory against Carlisle also meant that the Stags since late October have climbed from the drop zone into the League Two top half. Come on Mansfield!
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
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