“We all drive our own standards”: Salford City captain Alex Cairns on importance of Barrow clash

Salford City prepares to forge another away win as they visit Barrow on the weekend after returning from South Yorkshire. 

Salford City currently sit 13th place in League Two after returning from their away win at Doncaster. The Ammies saw out a controlled performance and a clean sheet last Tuesday as they beat Doncaster Rovers by three. Captain and goalkeeper Alex Cairns spoke to the media ahead of the upcoming Barrow clash to express the changes the Ammies have made and the expectations of the season.

When congratulated on the clean sheet against Doncaster, Alex Cairns spoke of the importance of every player winning a clean sheet:

“I don’t wanna individualise any players or anything like that; it’s a collective. It’s not just about the back line that has to keep the clean sheets and be defensively solid. It’s the midfielders in front of them, blocking spaces and blocking passes, so they can’t break us in transition. So it’s not necessarily about one player”.

The Ammies earned a well-deserved clean sheet on the road against Doncaster, with striker Matt Smith scoring an impressive hat-trick. When asked about Smith’s performance, Cairn stated with laughter:

“Yeah, he’s class, Mr. Reliable; you know what you’re getting from Smudge. Day in and day out, training, games, he’s just there when we need him. He’s been a massive, massive part of this year, even when we’re going through the struggles that we were when we had injuries. Smudge is just there, still churning it out. Driving standards, and I’m buzzing for him because he deserves it.”

Up next: We head up to Cumbria ⛵️ pic.twitter.com/oVHaFSbpXN

— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) October 26, 2023

Cairns, unwilling to take any individual praise for the last game, spoke of the team’s turnaround in the league after a poor start to the season:

“I think we all drive our own standards in training, and we all knew at a certain point it would turn because of the way the manager and the staff set us up. We know that we’re going to be a threat. It’s just a matter of making sure we do that on a match day.”

Neil Wood’s side are finally a team gaining results and pushing higher up the table. The Ammies have risen from 18th to 13th in just over a month, with the team gradually returning to strength.

Speaking on their next challenge, Cairns gave his assessment of Barrow:

“I think they’re a good side. I think credit where credit’s due; they’re always fighting out there. And I think everyone in this league appreciates the work that they’ve done. They’ve got a good manager in Pete Wild. And I think, as a group, a really, really good side.”

Another win this weekend could see Salford City leapfrog Barrow in the table as the long fight for a playoff spot continues for Neil Wood’s men. 

Barrow vs. Salford City will kick off at 3pm on Saturday at the Holker Street stadium in Cumbria.