Browse Sections

• Salford City Reds
• Local football
• Local cricket

Ambitions of title dented for Salford

31/10/2002

SALFORD CITY slumped to their first home defeat this season against their bogey side Atherton Colls.

Colls, who dumped Salford out of the FA Cup in September, snatched a deserved away win to severely dent the Moor Lane outfit's title ambitions.

In a game with few clear cut chances, Atherton went in front after 18 minutes. The Salford defence retreated and Adam Lucas was allowed the time to shoot past Phil Melville who seemed to see the ball late.

City struggled to make any impression but the homeside drew level five minutes from the interval. Francis Vaughan's shot was goalbound, but Chris Willcock was on hand to make sure.

After the break, Salford tried to put their poor first half performance behind them, but they were repelled by a well organised Colls defence.

Substitute Rhodri Giggs had a fantastic chance to break the deadlock on the hour but poor control let him down and the chance was wasted.

City's afternoon got even worse, when Giggs was sent off after 75 minutes. And a minute later Colls made the decisive breakthrough, when Nick Fisher chipped Melville to wrap up all three points.

Salford City take a break from league action this Saturday, when they travel to Second Division Blackpool Mechanics, in the third round of the League's Worthington Challenge Cup.

• Salford City beat Fleetwood 3-1 at home on Tuesday night.