Salford City 0 Darlington 2

Quakers produced a magnificent performance to win 2-0 at Salford, both goals scored very coolly by David Ferguson.

The midfielder scored late in each half to give Quakers the three points, and not many inside Moor Lane could argue that Quakers deserved to win.

It was a great all round performance by Quakers, and when they had to defend, they did do whole heartedly with the back four giving hardly anything away.

Salford put Quakers under immediate pressure right from the start , but Quakers defended well.

There was some promise for Quakers when Beck nodded down a Gillies cross for Syers to have a shot blocked ten yards out.

At the other end, Gary Brown put in a good tackle on Michael Nottingham when the Salford man tried to break down the right.

Quakers were showing more enterprise, and James Caton nearly caught the Salford defence out with his speed, but was crowded out as he cut in from the right.

Quakers had a good chance when a long throw by Brown came in from the left, and Syers was inches wide at the far post.

Salford had their first real chance, when a free kick was whipped in from the right and Maynard headed just over the bar.

There was some great trickery by James Caton on the left when he dribbled past a defender and whipped in a dangerous cross that was headed away by a defender.

Salford posed danger when Dieseruvwe broke down the right and crossed into the middle, where Phenix failed to control the ball with just Bartlett to beat.

Quakers took the lead on 43 minutes when Syers broke through and struck the bar, and the ball rebounded out for David Ferguson to control, then coolly stroke the ball into the bottom right hand corner from the edge of the area.

Half time: Salford City 0 Darlington 1

Quakers were pushed back at the start of the second half, but again defended well. Dieseruvwe mishit his shot from 10 yards but Phenix could only divert the ball into Bartlett’s hands, then Maynard set up Dieseruvwe, but he could only fire straight at Bartlett from twelve yards.

Richie Allen cut in from the right and curled a left foot shot just over, and Phenix burst through one-on-one, and blazed wildly over the bar.

But Quakers overcame that spell of pressure, and started to gain more of a foothold in the game.

Salford’s pressure became more and more desperate, and Quakers looked more dangerous on the break.

And sub Harvey Saunders exposed them in the fourth minute of stoppage time, when he broke down the right hand side, beat a defender, and then rolled the ball across the 18 yard box for Ferguson to slide the ball past the stranded keeper, and put the travelling support into raptures!

Bartlett, Hunter, Galbraith, Turnbull, Collins, Brown, Gillies (sub Scott 66), Syers, Beck, Caton (Saunders 74), Ferguson

Subs: Marrs, Fenwick, Wilczynski

Booking: Brown

Salford

Crocombe, Hogan, Piergianni, Burton, Livesey, Maynard, Nottingham, Allen, Phenix (sub Dudley 68), Dieseruvwe, Touray (sub Askew 68)

Subs: Askew, Beesley, Dudley, Ogunrinde, Aghayere

Booking Dieseruvwe,