19-08-17 – Report – Salford City FC 3 Harriers 0

An outright, utter shambles at Salford

Report: Phil Lench

We lost 3-0 at this place last season and then it was a ramshackle tip of a ground. This time round it was looking smarter all except one side of it on Nevile Rd and that is next in line for a new stand.

There was still one ramshackle element to it though and that was us.

We had seen an improvement in our two previous games although we weren’t convincing. At home to Leamington we struggled to break them down with a penalty and a comical goal at the end but it wasn’t the Harriers of old. The previous Saturday we had been a few miles across Manchester at FC Utd and then we struggled in the first half but came out renewed in the second to win 2-1 but it wasn’t the Harriers of old.

Today we didn’t look anything remotely like any Harriers team seen in recent years. We were devoid of creativity, passing skills, positional play and most of all devoid of any kind of backbone. As for Salford it was they who resembled the Harriers of last season with some neat, precise passing and an urge to entertain. They certainly weren’t the cloggers of yesterday that we had been expecting to see.

Luckily for us they struggled to break our defence down enough to pose any kind of threat on Brandon Halls goal. Joel Taylor was improved with a few games under his belt and Kenny Digie also seems to be settling down alongside Liam Daly but it was in midfield where we had gone missing. Ryan Croasdale, back from a family bereavement, Dan Bradley and Elton N’Gwatala looked all over the place and were playing like strangers.

Neither side had really threatened the others goal and it came somewhat against the run of play and out of the blue when a seemingly good tackle by Liam Hogan that saw him win the ball off Manny Sonupè ended with him falling over and handling the ball. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Joe Ironside picked up the ball ready to take the spot kick but then a bit of handbags occurred that the ref seemed to take ages to sort out. Four cards were handed out (two each) and then one to Dan Bradley as he walked away obviously having said something out of place.

With calm finally achieved up stepped Ironside to roll the ball to one side of the Salford keeper, Max Crocombe, for him to fall down on easily.

HT: 0 – 0

Can I go home now?

Salford bought on a tiny sub, Jack Redshaw, after the break and he finished us off with ease. A minute in and a moment of indecision by Daly allowed former Harrier Mani Dieseruvwe to skip past him and cross the ball in for Redshaw to divert home via the upright. Five minutes later Dieseruvwe capitalised on more indecision, this time by Kenny Digie, and crossed the ball in for Redshaw again to divert home through a ruck of Harriers defenders.

We crumpled visibly and threw the towel in.

City were home and dry and tried to add to the scoreline with Ibou Touray firing over, Redshaw almost getting the match ball early with a shot that hit the crossbar and one for Richie Allen that went just wide. Our only effort of note came from Elton N’Gwatala when he sent a shot over the bar late on.

Redshaw completed his mission ten minutes from the end when another substitute, Mike Phenix, moved past our defenders on the counter attack and fed the ball forward for Redshaw to finally claim that ball for his personal trophy cabinet.

The game ended with Harriers fans deriding the players and management for what had been another poor performance from us yet again. This team that has been assembled are nothing like the team that went so close last season. We have only lost four key players from then but the heart has been ripped from the team and has not been replaced.

John Eustace is a man with a major problem on his hands and it’s high time that he found the answer.

As for the Harriers man of the match then I’m giving that to Joel Taylor. He didn’t do too much wrong and at least he made an effort. If I was to give him a score of 4 out of 10 then what does that say of the rest of the shambles? (Brandon Hall isn’t included in that. He just does his job calmly) 

FT: 3 – 0

Goals for Salford City: Redshaw 47, 52, 80

The Harriers Online MotM is: Joel Taylor

Talk about the game here and phone the Harriers Hotline on 01905 577 777 after the game too

Latest table and stats here

Salford City FC	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Crocombe
Hogan
Piergianni
Burton			71
Nottingham
Maynard
Beesley
Allen
Dieseruvwe			71
Dudley			46
Touray
Subs:
Aghayere
Shelton			71
McHale
Phenix			71
Redshaw			46
Harriers	Goals	Subs	Time	Cards
Hall
Williams
Taylor
Croasdale
Daly
Digie
Sonupè			63
McQuilkin			79
Ironside			73
N’Gwatala
Bradley
Subs:
A Brown			63
Weeks
Austin			79
Keane
Joachim			73
Referee:
Mr David Underwood
Blackpool