Salford City welcome 8th-placed Gillingham to the Peninsula Stadium this weekend, The Ammies will be eyeing a quick return to winning ways following a midweek draw against Colchester.
Karl Robinson’s appointment in January kickstarted an eight-game unbeaten run that had dragged Salford City out of immediate relegation danger. Last weekend the streak ended decisively as Mansfield blitzed the Ammies 5-1.
Although Salford City failed to find an immediate response against Colchester, following Robinson’s arrival the side have looked more than a match for any team in the division. There are no worries from within the camp of a return to the poor form exhibited earlier in the campaign.
Salford City defender Curtis Tilt highlighted that “at the start of the season our run wasn’t good enough, but now we play exciting football (under Robinson) and I think the fans appreciate how hard we are working.”
Tilt is now well into his 7th season playing in the EFL, the centre-back is no stranger to the highs and the lows associated with playing professional football.
“I’ve always said, whatever team I’ve been at, the run always comes to an end, it’s how you bounce back from it” he explained.
Always good to give back to the community 🙌🏾 https://t.co/RPqBQ6x9ZH
— Curtis Tilt (@CurtisTilt) February 29, 2024
Salford visit to the Priestfield stadium came at the heart of a 10-game winless run that culminated in the sacking of former coach Neil Wood.
Gillingham convincingly defeated The Ammies 3-1 last November, however, the Kent-based side should expect a completely different challenge this time around.
Tilt addressed the team’s changes since Robinson’s arrival, “We are more competitive than we were back then, well try and take the game to them and win the three points.”
Timings to help plan your day at The Peninsula Stadium on Saturday ⏰
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) February 29, 2024
Theo Vassell is available for selection this weekend, the defender missed Salford’s game against Colchester through suspension after receiving a red card against Mansfield.
The Gills come into the game in good form and will be buoyant after a 1-0 win against Wrexham last time out. Since the sides last met in November, Gillingham have enjoyed a major boost of their own through the return of prolific striker Oliver Hawkins prior to the turn of the year.
The chief threat for the Gills had been ruled out of the side’s previous encounter with Salford suffering from a plantar fasciitis injury which prevented him from playing for 3 months.
Due to his absence earlier in the season, Hawkins has only featured from the start in 10 of the playoff contenders games this season.
Throughout the campaign, Gillingham have struggled to find a consistent source of goals. The team are the division’s lowest scorers and have only found the back of the net on 32 occasions.
Yet The Gills will be hopeful that Hawkins can re-find the goalscoring form that has seen the player be a success at League Two level. The striker has only scored 3 times since his return from injury yet could pose a major threat for The Ammies if he can get back to his best on Saturday.
Tilt and his teammates will be fully aware that subduing the striker could be key to Salford City’s success this weekend.
Salford City take on Gillingham at the Peninsula stadium this Saturday, kick-off is at 3pm.
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