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Salford slip up at Town

21/ 3/2002

NW Counties Div One: Congleton Town 5 Salford City 2

WITH their closest rivals all involved in cup action, Salford spurned the chance of going top of the table with a below par performance at lowly Congleton.

Town's tactic of quick counter attacks caused the usually reliable City defence untold problems throughout, while too many loose passes gave away possession cheaply elsewhere on the pitch.

Congleton's first goal came out of the blue - a superb strike from the angle of the penalty area after 18 minutes by Chris Burke gave City stopper Phil Melville absolutely no chance.

They doubled their lead seven minutes later when Andy Park took advantage of indecision in the Salford goalmouth to hammer the ball past Melville.

And yet things might have been so different if just minutes earlier Congleton 'keeper Matthew Towns hadn't managed to tip over the crossbar a well-directed header from Rhodri Giggs. Other than this, City's front line was well marshalled by a no-nonsense home rearguard until, on the stroke of half time, Francis Vaughan threw Salford a lifeline.

Mattie Hughes sent over a pinpoint cross which Vaughan chested down, before striking a volley past Towns.

City began to make more inroads after the break but Congleton put the game beyond reach with two goals in five minutes midway through the second half. First, John Paul Jones took advantage of more defensive mistakes to beat Melville with a close range header. Then Dave Shaw, latching on to another long ball from his own back line, hit Town's fourth.

With 10 minutes remaining Keith Evans got a consolation for Salford but Scott Beasley completed the rout two minutes from time when he cheekily chipped the ball over a stranded Melville.