Salford City vs. Latics

Sky Bet League Two - Matchday 10

30 October 2020

Latics will attempt to make it back-to-back wins on the road when they make the short trip over to the Peninsula Stadium (Moor Lane) to take on Salford City (3pm KO).

Last time out, a fourth goal in as many games for Zak Dearnley saw Latics leave Roots Hall with all three points in a crucial game in the last minute of normal time.

The game will also see the return of Harry Kewell to the dugout after his period of isolation and it is expected he will have a full team to pick from with the only confirmed absentees in press being the long-term injury to Andrea Badan after pulling his hamstring at Colchester at the start of the month, as well as one player currently completing his isolation period after a positive test last week.

Form Guide

The Ammies have had a solid start to the season and have lost just once in the league.

They sit in 10^th position in Sky Bet League Two table with 13 points from their opening eight matches and are just three points away from a spot in the promotion places.

Salford have won just one of out their last four though, which has seen them drop from the play-off spots after the departure of Graham Alexander as manager.

In other competitions, City made it to the second round of the Carabao Cup before losing to Premier League side Everton and they know they need to beat Rochdale in their final EFL Trophy group game to join Latics in the knockout stage of the competition.

The Ammies’ Last Six:

Salford City 1-1 Crawley Town
Salford City 3-0 Southend United
Port Vale 1-0 Salford City
Salford City 2-2 Tranmere Rovers
Stevenage 0-1 Salford City
Salford 2-0 Morecambe (EFL Trophy)

Head-to-Head

This is just the third meeting between the two clubs.

They met for the first-time last season and Salford picked up four points from the two games at Latics.

At Boundary Park, Latics fell to a 4-1 defeat to Salford with Desire Segbe-Azankpo heading home a consolation effort on the day.

A late goal from Danny Rowe won Oldham a point in the reverse fixture after Brandon Thomas-Asante had given the hosts the lead.

Watch Out For

Summer signing Ian Henderson is Salford’s top scorer this season with four goals in eight Sky Bet League Two matches.

The 35 year-old started his career with Norwich City but he never really got going at Carrow Road and after an unsuccessful loan spell with Rotherham United, Henderson was snapped up by Northampton Town.

Henderson failed to find the back of the net for the Cobblers and fell out of favour at Sixfields prompting a move to League Two side Luton Town.

He played just 19 times for the Hatters before leaving the club, this time joining Turkish side MKE Ankaragücü.

His return to English football was more successful and he scored 26 times for Colchester United, but it is with Rochdale that the veteran striker made his name.

He made over 300 appearances for Dale, finding the net on 125 occasions.

Henderson has had a great start to life at Salford and his form was awarded when he was given the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month award for the month of September.

Familiar Faces

There are a few links between the two clubs.

Salford striker Emmanuel Dieseruvwe spent the second-half of last campaign on loan at Boundary Park.

The 25 year-old forward made just four appearances during his loan spell with Latics as a result of injury issues and the early end to the season.

He has scored seven times in 53 games for Salford and has also turned out for Hyde, Fleetwood, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Kidderminster Harriers, Boston United and Chester in his career.

A further link is current Latics captain Carl Piergianni.

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Similarly to Dieseruvwe, Piergianni initially arrived at Boundary Park in a loan deal for the second half of last season but the centre half did enough in the 11 games he played to secure a permanent deal at Oldham.

The 28 year-old was a crucial part in the Salford team that won promotion to the Football League for the first time in the club’s history. He scored an impressive 11 goals from centre half in the campaign that saw the Ammies gain promotion.

Finally, stand-in Salford boss Paul Scholes had a brief spell as Oldham manager. Latics won one of the seven games that the Manchester United legend was in the dugout for.

In The Dugout

It looks like Paul Scholes will still be the man in dugout for the hosts.

Scholes is caretaker manager at the Peninsula Stadium following the dismissal of Graham Alexander on the 12^th October 2020.

So far under Scholes’ stewardship, Salford have won one, drawn one and lost one.

This is his second job in football management following a brief spell in 2019 with Latics.

As a player, Scholes made over 500 appearances for Manchester United and was capped 66 times for England.

Stadium

Salford City play at the Peninsula Stadium.

The ground which is more commonly known as Moor Lane got its new name for sponsorship reasons. The ground has played host to the Ammies since 1978 but has gone under considerable renovation in the last few years as the club continues to rise through the divisions.

The current record attendance is 4,518, which was set with the visit of Leeds United in the Carabao Cup first round earlier last season.

Match Officials

The referee for the local weekend clash is Anthony Backhouse.

He has officiated seven games so far this season handing out 23 yellows and a single red card.

His last game involving Latics was the 2-1 win at Morecambe on Boxing Day last season where a single yellow card was given to Chris McCann in the 90+6 minute.

He will be assisted by Joe Clark and Alistair Nelson with the fourth official being Ben Toner.

Sky Bet Odds

Salford have been made heavy favourites for the game at 17/20. Latics are priced out at 11/4 to pick up all three points whilst a repeat of last season’s draw is 13/5.

Please gamble responsibly, for more information visit www.begambleaware.org

How To Follow The Game

Because the game is classed as behind-closed-doors, supporters can tune into a live match stream with commentary available for all subscribers on iFollow Latics, as Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown talk you through the action.

This match is available as a live stream for the fee of £10.

Visit the Live Match Centre to access form guides, live text commentary and live audio commentary

Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.

Match Reports

Salford City 2-0 Latics

31 October 2020

Latics suffer defeat at the Peninsula Stadium as goals from James Wilson and Ashley Hunter were enough to secure all three points.

Head Coach Harry Kewell returned to the dugout for the clash against Salford City after completing his self-isolation following his positive test.

He named one change to his side from the mid-week win down at Southend as Conor McAleny picked up a late injury meaning attacker George Blackwood came into the starting XI to replace him.

Paul Scholes’ side started the game on the front foot with fellow Manchester United academy graduate James Wilson causing the Latics backline trouble. First, he raced into the box and pulled it back to Ashley Hunter, but the attacker blasted his effort way over the crossbar. Following that, Wilson dribbled his way into the area and managed to find room to let loose, however, Ian Lawlor got down well to keep him out.

The visitors’ first opportunity arrived shortly after as Davis Keillor-Dunn’s corner from the left bounced into the path of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson inside the 18-yard-box, but his half-volley smashed into the side netting.

In the 24th minute, Salford broke the deadlock through the dangerman, Wilson. Brandon Thomas-Asante raced inside from the right, laid the ball to Ian Henderson and his strike was parried into the feet of Wilson and from a yard out he tapped into the empty goal.

Just before the interval, former Latics loanee Jason Lowe brought Callum Whelan down in a promising area and Keillor-Dunn stepped up and curled his free-kick over the wall, but Vaclav Hladky got across his goal well to keep him out.

Oldham should’ve equalised early into the second-half as Whelan managed to get himself one-on-one with the Czech goalkeeper and he struck his attempt with the outside of his foot, but he saw his effort go the wrong side of the far post.

However, with 73 minutes on the clock, the Ammies doubled their advantage. Thomas-Asante played the ball in behind to Henderson and the experienced frontman raced into the box on the left before he laid the ball off to Hunter and he kept his composure to side-foot into the back of the net.

Latics looked to get back into the affair and came close when substitute Danny Rowe crossed from the right and it found Keillor-Dunn and the winger chipped effort towards the top corner, but it went just over the crossbar.

Salford nearly had a third in the last minute when, just off the bench, Luke Armstrong received the ball from Thomas-Asante and tried his luck, but Lawlor managed to keep him out. This win secures Salford’s first-ever win against Latics at the Peninsula Stadium.

Salford City XI – Hladky (GK), Touray, Lowe, Eastham ©, Clarke, Hunter, Turnbull, Threlkeld, Wilson (Armstrong 87’), Thomas-Asante, Henderson (Jones 90+’).

Subs – Evans (GK), Andrade, Bernard, Burgess, Smith.

Goals: Wilson 24’ Hunter 73’

Oldham Athletic XI – Lawlor (GK), Clarke, Borthwick-Jackson, Piergianni ©, Blackwood (Dearnley 61’), Whelan, Keillor-Dunn, Grant (Rowe 77’), Fage, Jameson (Bahamboula 61’), Ntambwe.

Subs – Bilboe (GK), Barnett, McCalmont, Hamer.

Referee – Anthony Backhouse