The Salford Advertiser may be no more than a memory (and its successor apparently wholly disinterested in the region’s non-league football scene) but its Challenge Trophy remains firmly in the grip of Salford City FC.
A quality performance in the second half was sufficient to overcome an Irlam side that had given as good as it got before the interval and Salford’s squad is developing nicely as the new season approaches.
The first half was rather low key, at least in terms of goalscoring opportunities, with The Ammies failing to make much impression on the home defence.
In fact the first shot of real note came just past the quarter hour when Irlam’s number ten made the most of a convenient bounce to try a half-volley that was reasonably straightforward for Marcus Burgess to deal with.
Salford hadn’t looked particularly dangerous despite seeing plenty of the ball but a typically inventive goal from Gareth Seddon gave them a 31st minute lead.
There seemed relatively little for the Irlam defence to worry about as the ex-Chester striker took possession on the right, and just outside the angle of the box.
Seconds later, after a quick turn, the ball dropped over the home keeper and clipped off the inside of his right-hand post and into the net.
Irlam had one or two moments of their own, playing some neat stuff around the Salford penalty area but The Ammies defence looks set to carry on the way last season was finished and there were few sights of goal for the home side before the interval.
Despite the home side’s best efforts the second half would belong to Salford City, who upped their game and began to look capable of adding to their single goal.
Five minutes after the restart Matty Coughlan swung in a corner from the right but from six yards out skipper Chris Lynch could only direct a header high over the crossbar. A minute or so later Matt Chadwick let fly with a 25 yard free-kick and the ball whistled narrowly outside the Irlam keeper’s right-hand upright.
As always in these games Irlam were working hard and in the 50th minute they might have snatched an equaliser. A good ball down the left gave their number twelve a chance to get forward but Burgess had anticipated the danger, advancing quickly to the angle of his area to make a sliding block.
Otherwise it was the Ammies in the ascendancy and Tunji Moses was the next to threaten, making a run down the left and almost to the line before delivering the ball towards the near post. Seddon was on the end of that one but the ball was bouncing and under defensive pressure he could only direct an effort straight at the keeper.
In the five or six minutes around the hour mark Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley made no less than nine changes and the result was a second goal of the evening. Salford’s supporters have seen a few well-worked goals already this pre-season and here was another as Jordan Hulme started things off with a nicely weighted pass up the right. The trialist who created Sam Madeley’s goal against Shildon at the weekend was at it again, setting off on what has already become his trademark – a driving run into the heart of the opposition defence.
This one was finished off by a good pass tucked inside from the right and Danny Webber was there to stroke home a cool 15 yard finish, placing the ball between the keeper and his left-hand upright.
A deserved second goal for Salford and they continued to probe for weaknesses in an Irlam defence that was resisting with vigour.
With nine minutes left Luke Clark – slotting into central defence since coming on – played a tremendous 50 yard pass that dropped perfectly over Irlam’s full-back to give Shelton Payne space to attack on the left. The cross inside was decent but unfortunately nobody was on hand to provide a finishing touch for what would have been another memorable goal.
The Ammies didn’t have to wait too long for goal number three however – during their very next attack Hulme cut in from the right to the edge of the area were he drilled a low shot inside the keeper’s right-hand post.
With five minutes left Clark delivered a cross from the right for Madeley to tee himself up inside the area but the ball wouldn’t come down and the shot went high. There was time for one more opportunity and it came when Luke Giverin’s cross from the left fell for Webber whose stetching, first-time effort was straight at the keeper.
