This weekend Salford City will embark on their first ever fixture in the FA Cup third round against Premier League Champions Manchester City.
The Ammies have been on an impressive run throughout the FA Cup, and have made history proving their is still magic in the competition.
Karl Robinsons side have gone from strength-to-strength throughout the competition, and have been able to regain confidence in their league form.
In previous attempts Salford City have only reached the second round three times prior, with their closest opportunity to the third round coming in the 2015/16 season.
The Ammies were knocking on the door of the third round losing 2-0 to Hartlepool a second round replay, after drawing the first fixture 1-1.
However, almost ten years later Salford have been able to grow, and with some patience have been able to advance into the third round.
The FA Cup journey for the Ammies began in early November, as they beat the League One side Shrewsbury Town 2-1.
The fixture was a challenging one playing a side in the division above, with Karl Robinsons’ side walking into the competition with only four wins in the previous ten games.
Salford were able to show their strength throughout as the veteran midfielder Matty Lund opened the scoring within five minutes.
And despite the Ammies seeming more in control of the fixture, their lead was short-lived.
Shrewsbury were able to make a smart move down the left hand side of the field, that led to the left-back Mal Benning lofting a ball into the area.
The looping cross was able to find the head of Shrewsbury’s Tommy O’Reilly, being nodded into the path of forward John Marquis.
And although Salford could have buckled under the pressure, the Ammies were able to fight their way back into lead – with Luke Garbutt was able to swoop in a corner that was meeting the head of the midfielder once again.
Matty Lund’s brace would be enough in the fixture with the Ammies being forced to hold on for the second half.
With a mixture of chances from both sides they were able to prove their defensive resiliency.
But the game didn’t finish without a little bit more history in the final moments, Marshall Heys was subbed on for Austerfield.
The substitute of Heys would mean that he would become the youngest player to appear in the FA Cup for a professional side at the age of 15.
Altogether, the victory would mean that they would be entered into the second round draw – where they were picked out to play Cheltenham Town on Saturday 30 November.
And the success of the second round saw the League Two side travel to the Peninsula Stadium – where they were able to make club history with a 2-0 victory.
Karl Robinson’s side were able to secure the win, with Frankie Okoronkwo and Cole Stockton scoring the goals in two minutes to separate the clubs.
The Ammies were able to secure the victory with 18-year-old Matty Young saving a penalty to book their place into the next round.
The Salford keeper has been able to prove his worth for the club this season, and has since been been shortlisted for the PFA League Two Fans’ Player of the Month for December 2024.
🗳️ @mattyoungg1 has been shortlisted for the PFA League Two Fans’ Player of the Month for December 2024!
🧽 5 clean sheets in 6 games for the 18-year old
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) January 9, 2025
The 2-0 victory, once again proved Salford City’s ambition, a key factor for them this campaign, and was enough to earn them ball number 45 in the draw at Old Trafford.
The win for the club was a monumental one, as head coach Karl Robinson said: “We just have to wait and see if we get a bit of luck. We just have to make sure that we are competitive in the league.
With the side at the time sat in 15th position they have been able to lift themselves up the league and build confidence.
And with their FA Cup ball being picked out against Manchester City many fans will be hoping that this historic cup run doesn’t come to an end so soon.
Eyes across the city will be glued to televisions, as the Ammies will be taking on the English and former European champions on Saturday 11 January.
The fixture is set to be a feisty one, with even Gary Neville wasting no time after the draw to aim a cheeky dig at Pep Guardiola, tweeting: “He’s getting sacked in the morning @SalfordCityFC.”
The game will kickoff at 5:45pm, and will look to be an entertaining spectacle for all travelling fans – as Salford have this once in a life opportunity to become ‘giant-killers’.
More information about the upcoming fixture can be found here.
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