Star date: 11th September 2010 

FA CUP First Qualifying Round
Salford City 0 Northwich Victoria 1

SALFORD GO DOWN FIGHTING

Unfortunate Salford went out of the FA Cup, beaten by a solitary goal from a team which is joint top of the next league up from the Evo-Stik First Division where the Ammies play.

Oh but it could have been so, so different.

Full painful story here…

It's Rhodri Giggs running onto the ball…oooooooohhhh just over the bar…

It's Rhodri Giggs to the byline, pulls it back…oooohhhhhhhh no-one can quite make contact…

It's Rhodri Giggs with the shot…ooooh just past the post…

The goal's gaping….it's Martyn Andrews at the far post…ooohhh the header's over the bar…

No-one can say that Salford City didn't have the chances to put their name into next week's FA Cup draw. The players just couldn't convert them. And against a good team like Northwich Victoria – unbeaten this season and top of the Evo-Stik Premier League – those chances had to be put away. But they weren't and so Salford, never looking a league below the Vics, can forget about the FA Cup for another year.

After all the media hype about this tie, the game was tense from the kick off, Northwich Vics passing the ball around without looking a threat and Salford maybe showing them too much respect by playing deep. But it was Salford who had the chances in the first half.

First Rhodri Giggs, running onto a through ball, put his shot over the bar, and then he turned provider, pulling the ball back across goal, with the two Salford attackers, Dean Cooper and Steve Foster, unable to connect.

Vics also had a few chances, Salford 'keeper Andy Robertson making some crucial saves as half time neared. But a minute before the break Northwich got a corner which was cleared back to the corner taker, who stuck it in the box again and after a scramble the ball ended up in the Salford net. HT: Salford City 0 Northwich Vics 1

Again in the second half Andy Robertson was called on to make some rescuing saves but Salford could have equalised on at least two occasions, first Rhodri Giggs squeezing a shot just past the post, and then Martyn Andrews, at the far post with the goal gaping, somehow getting his header over the bar.

So Salford City go out of the FA Cup, despite being the equals of higher league opposition. Now it's just the FA Trophy and the League to go at, with the next home game against mighty Chester on 25th September (all ticket see the website for details www.salfordcityfc.co.uk ) 

Photos by Andrew Goudie