High flying Durham City were humbled on their own plastic pitch today as Salford City hit four against the team that ran FC United close in the FA Trophy recently.
In the first twenty minutes alone, the Ammies could have been at least three goals up, as Gavin Salmon blasted over the bar from a good position, before the Durham keeper made good saves from Salmon, Jamie Rother and Craig Flowers.
Durham went close with a shot that whistled past the post as they answered Salford's constant attacks. But it was Rhodri Giggs who gave Salford the lead, on 25 minutes, as he headed a lofted clearance over the despairing Durham keeper into the net. 1-0.
The goal seemed to galvanise Durham and they had their best spell of the game as Salford goalie, Chris Howarth was forced into his first save of the match. Moments later, though, he could do nothing as the ball failed to be cleared from the Salford area and Durham right back, Andrew Stephenson, drilled home the 30th minute equaliser. 1-1.
Less than three minutes later Salford found themselves behind, against the run of play, when a thumping drive from outside the area flew into the top of the net. 1-2.
With over ten minutes left to half time, Salford tried in vain to get back on level terms – Giggs chested down a cross for Gavin Salmon whose shot was saved by the keeper's knees, then Salmon fed Giggs but again the keeper blocked. At half time it could have been Salford in the lead by a mile but instead the home team were 2-1 up.
The second half looked to be following the same path as Salmon volleyed just wide from Adam Morning's cross. But after 60 minutes Cayne Hanley got the Ammies back on level terms, driving in a great shot from the right. 2-2.
And just as Durham had turned the match around in three minutes in the first half, Salford turned it on its head three minutes later when Steve Murty, on as a sub, played a one-two with Rhodri Giggs, advancing into the area, before the player manager's final lofted pass allowed Murty to head over the keeper to give Salford the lead. 3-2.
Durham huffed and puffed but managed nothing, and Adam Morning wrapped up the points, and an incredibly satisfying result, in injury time when he mesmerised a couple of defenders before slotting home the fourth. Final score 4-2.
It was some kind of revenge on last season when Durham stuffed Salford 6-2 on this ground. But, more importantly, the win puts Salford City back in sight of the play-offs.
Now the really big game comes on Tuesday night when Salford City play top of the table undefeated Skelmersdale United at Moor Lane (kick off 7:45pm)
Photos by Andrew Goudie
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