Salford City play host to fellow Greater Manchester outfit Stockport County on Tuesday evening in the Vertu Trophy, looking to bounce back from back-to-back defeats.
Salford suffered their fourth League Two defeat of the season last Saturday, losing 2-0 at the Peninsula Stadium against fellow promotion hopefuls Grimsby Town.
Despite losing two in a row, the Ammies have started the season strongly, sitting in 5th place, nicely within the playoff positions.
Stockport, meanwhile, sit just outside the playoff places in League One, but come into this one fresh off a big 2-1 away victory over Huddersfield Town.
Both have also made good starts to their Vertu Trophy campaigns, each winning their first matches. Salford defeated League One Wigan Athletic 2-0, whilst Stockport beat Wolverhampton Wanderers U21’s 5-3.
We are back at the Peninsula Stadium tomorrow night when Stockport County visit in the @VertuTrophy š
Tickets are available to buy online until kick-off at https://t.co/BalbrrztJy.#SALSPT pic.twitter.com/Dpqfm16TsI
ā Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) October 6, 2025
The two clubs’ both sit on the outskirts of Manchester, with grounds around 18 miles apart and last met in March 2024. That match ended 2-2, with current Ammies captain Luke Garbutt getting himself on the score sheet.
In recent history. the pair most notably met in the semi-finals of the League Two playoffs in the 2022/23 season. Salford won the home leg 1-0, but fell to Stockport on penalties, after the Hatters had levelled the tie in normal time.
Stockport themselves went on to lose 5-4 on penalties to Oldham Athletic in the final, but secured automatic promotion to League One the season after.
Salford manager Karl Robinson was unimpressed with his side’s finishing in their last two games, he said: āIn the last two games weāve probably dominated in between the two boxes.
“We knew how difficult the game was going to be today but I donāt think at any stage we didnāt work hard, we didnāt work off our shape, we didnāt not create chances. We did all of the above. We just didnāt take the opportunities when they came along.
āI back them in there. Thereās a lot more to come from them in there. We know what went wrong in there, and we know that weāll improve.
“The two goals were our fault, we know why. The chances that we didnāt take were our fault and we know why. Weāve just got to make sure we show more respect in how we defend our box, and to be more ruthless in the oppositionās box.ā
Robinson will be hoping his side can get back on the scoresheet, having scored 17 goals in 11 games in League Two so far this season.
One man Salford will be looking to for goals, as well as creativity is Dan Udoh. Despite being shut out in his last two games, the Nigerian-born striker has four goals and two assists since his debut against Tranmere Rovers.
Dan Udoh’s first 3 games for Salford
ā½ļø 2 goals
š¤ 4 assists (most in the league)
š 3 wins pic.twitter.com/Gh7DvZfVtoā Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) September 22, 2025
Salford themselves will have the task of keeping Stockport’s Kyle Wooton quiet, with the 28-year-old sitting on five goals and three assists in League One so far this season.
The Vertu Trophy only contains teams from League One and League Two, as well as select Premier League academies.
The competition offers the rare potential of a trip to Wembley for lower league clubs.
Teams are awarded the usual three points for a win and one point for a draw, but should a game end tied, there will be a penalty shootout held, with the winning team awarded a bonus point.
The game kicks off at 7pm at the Peninsula Stadium.
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