"We'll be running round Droylsden with the Cup…"
Oh yes, oh yes – how exciting could this get? Salford to be kings of Manchester! That dream moved a step closer tonight as Salford stormed through to the semi finals of the Manchester Premier FA Cup – the trophy that every club in Manchester (bar Man United, Man City, FC United and a few other duffers) wants to win.
Ashton United, of the Evo-Stik Premier League, who have won the prestige trophy about a million times, came to Moor Lane expecting an easy passage to the next round and started the tie brightly, hitting the Salford crossbar after only ten minutes. However, almost straight after, the Ammies went down the other end where a through ball set Ben Beresford free on the edge of the area. With the Ashton keeper advancing, he placed a confident shot into the net to give Salford City the lead. 1-0
The rest of the game was all hustle and bustle, with few shots on goal. The Salford keeper did well to tip a dipping Ashton shot over the bar, while the Ashton defence cleared a couple of low crosses that whipped dangerously across their six yard box. But that was about all.
A good battling performance by Salford City, with the right result, which sees Salford in the semis to ultimately decide the kings of Manchester – and the only City in sight is Salford City…
Photos by Andrew Goudie and Gareth Lyons.