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Salford City 3 Abbey Hey 1

Frank McCauley
10/ 4/2008

ABBEY Hey belied their lowly league position and presented Salford with a lot of problems before losing their discipline.

The visitors had two players sent off in a two-minute spell.

City struggled to get to grips with a young Abbey Hey side and their pacy attacking kept Salford on the back foot.

Daniel Heffernan put them into a deserved lead with a shot past City keeper Martin Campbell.

However, a two-goal salvo in two minutes just before the interval turned the situation around for the home team. First the reliable Tommy Turner took up a great position at the back post to head a superbly delivered Sean Whitehead cross past Abbey Hey keeper Steve Downes.

Almost immediately Downes made an outstanding one handed reflex save to deny Mattie Burke but from Burke’s corner kick Kenny Tudor swept the ball into the net.

Then Abbey Hey went into self-destruct mode. Having watched the usually reliable Burke miss a penalty for Salford, Rico Colulo and Paul Pearson carried on protesting to the referee and were sent for an early bath for their troubles.

City supporters were disappointed if they thought the floodgates would now open against the nine man opposition and Salford had to rely on another penalty, this time dispatched by Burke to give the score line a more respectable appearance.

With Newcastle Town also winning last weekend Salford need to ensure they pick up maximum points against Runcorn Linnets in their last home match of the season at Moor Lane on Saturday, kick-off 3pm. Meanwhile, City supporters will be hoping for Trafford to do them a favour by taking the points at Newcastle.