Salford City opened this season’s Vertu Trophy group stage with a 2-0 victory away at Wigan Athletic.
Second half goals from Ollie Turton and Cole Stockton earned the Ammies three points against a young Wigan side, while a number of players were able to gain some important playing minutes.
The victory for Karl Robinsons’ side was also enough to end the clubs run of three away defeats in the competition.
Despite the victory for the travelling, things took time to develop for both sides having limited chances in the early moments of the game.
And with Salford playing a team with a number of new faces looking to put some game time under their belts, and it wasn’t until the 17th minute that the first chance was carved out.
Wigan almost cost themselves, playing a pass to the goalkeeper which went straight to Nicolás Siri, the new arrival turned and drove the ball towards goal before clipping a shot that Tom Watson stuck an arm up to keep out.
And from then it seemed that the high press was working well for the Ammies, as five minutes later another Wigan pass went astray, this time to Ben Woodburn from Watson.
He moved possession onto Siri, who passed it right for Kyrell Malcolm, but his shot from an angle on the right was blocked by Steven Sessegnon for a corner that came to nothing.
And as the game developed it seemed that Salford were the stronger of the two sides and were even able to their best effort of the half when Jay Bird won the 50-50 from Howard’s goal kick, although Graham’s challenge left him grounded.
Salford played on with Woodburn playing a one-two with Malcolm to his right before hitting a rising drive from the top of the box that came off the underside of the crossbar, with Austerfield heading the dropping ball over.
The attacks continued, as with just over five minutes to go Austerfield found Malcolm in space on the right with an excellent through ball, and the young winger managed to win a corner.
Matt Butcher played it short for Woodburn to swing a cross to the back post where Brandon Cooper met it on the volley but volleyed it over.
The whistle blew for half time, and it seemed that Salford were more than likely to grab a goal in the second half.
And with Haji Mnoga being brought on for Rose at half time for more minutes in his return from injury, the Ammies continued in much the same rhythm of dominance.
But this time it only took Salford City five minutes to make a chance count.
Malcolm continued to be a threat up the left and won a free kick on the left-hand corner of the box after being hauled down.
Woodburn delivered to the back post where Cooper headed it back across goal and picked out Turton in the middle who had to stretch back to get a contact on the ball with his head and nod it beyond Watson for his – and Salford’s – first goal.
However, chances from there were much less frequent with the only real chance of note before a raft of changes coming to Bird, who blasted wide from 12 yards at the end of a flowing move forward.
Approaching the last 10 minutes Wigan had a good chance to equalise when Harrison Bettoni’s corner was headed towards goal by Reece Greenhalgh, but Howard managed to reach out a hand to save.
From there Salford moved up the left with Malcolm, who nudged a pass back to Luke Garbutt who swung a cross in that was flicked on by Bird to Stockton at the back post, and the striker duly headed in his first goal of the season to double the lead.
Victory also ends Salford’s run of three away defeats in the competition, ahead of home games against Stockport County and Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s in October and November.
More information about the victory in the Vertu Trophy – and featured image can be found here.
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