Following Saturday’s stoppage-time winner at Edgeley Park against Newport County, Stockport County will make the short journey to the Peninsula Stadium to take on Salford City this Thursday.
In a crucial match on Saturday, County narrowly avoided a fifth consecutive winless game when Paddy Madden, who had earlier missed a penalty, scored late on to secure all three points. This maintained Dave Challinor’s side in second place in League Two, with Crewe Alexandra the only top-five team not to win over the weekend.
Both Mansfield and Wrexham, the two sides either side of County dropped points on Tuesday, with the Stags losing 2-1 to Tranmere Rovers and Wrexham settling for a 0-0 draw against Harrogate town. Although the Welsh side moved above County in the standings, a point against Salford would reclaim second place as we have a superior goal difference.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, MK Dons suffered a 1-0 defeat to Grimsby Town, whilst Crewe closed the gap on County to two points with a 1-0 victory over Sutton United. County still have games in hand on their rivals, with two over Mansfield, Wrexham and Crewe and three over MK Dons.
Salford come into this game off the back of a 3-1 defeat to the Dons on Saturday, having not won in their last four games. The Ammies currently sit 20th in the table, eight points above the relegation zone.
Since we last met:
The two sides played out a 0-0 draw at Edgeley Park back in November, with County unable to take advantage of their dominance – hitting the bar and seeing the ball cleared off the line twice. Salford managed to hold on for a point, despite having 11 absentees.
Last season, under Neil Wood’s management, Salford achieved their highest-ever finish of 7th, eventually losing to County in the League Two Play-Off Semi Final. However, they have struggled for form this campaign, losing 10 of their opening 20 games.
Wood was dismissed after a heavy 5-1 defeat to Tranmere on Boxing Day. Simon Wiles took over as interim manager, losing both games in charge 3-0 against Grimsby and Accrington Stanley, before the appointment of former Oxford United and Charlton Athletic manager, Karl Robinson.
Robinson’s arrival sparked an upturn in results. Salford, who had lost four successive games before his appointment, remained unbeaten in his first eight games in charge, starting with a 2-2 draw against Troy Deeney’s Forest Green Rovers. During this period, they won four and drew four, including wins against promotion chasing Crewe, Wrexham, and Barrow.
Matt Smith has been a standout performer up front for Salford, playing in every one of their 37 matches and scoring 23 of their 53 goals this season. He currently shares the top scorer position in League Two with Notts County’s Macauley Langstaff.
Since Robinson took charge, Smith has netted nine goals in 12 games, including a hat trick against Crewe in a 3-2 win – his third of the season also scoring three goals against Doncaster and Grimsby.
Despite their proficiency in front of goal, the side has struggled defensively, boasting the third-worst defensive record in League Two with 69 goals conceded only worsened by Notts County and Sutton on 70 goals.
Their home form is also concerning, with only four wins in 18 games at the Peninsula – making it the fourth-worst home record in the division.
Match Stats:
- Thursday’s game will be the sixth meeting between the two sides at the Peninsula Stadium, with County and Salford both winning twice in this fixture.
- Paddy Madden has four goals in his three visits to the Peninsula, including a hat trick in a 3-1 win in the EFL Trophy back in October.
- County are currently rank joint-second in League Two for clean sheets, tied with four other clubs on 13. Only AFC Wimbledon have a better record with 15.
Match Preview written by Stockport County Media Assistant, Ben McCarthy.
