Following the 4-0 rout of Port Vale last Saturday, which also was our first home victory this season and a perfect start to the calendar year 2021, the Stags will be at headquarters again on Tuesday night. And the opponents in the fixture rearranged from last Tuesday when that game was postponed due to snow, will be a side we have only played once before in preview history. The tale is of Salford, who started the new year by losing by the only goal of the game at Leyton Orient in one of a handful other League Two fixture which went ahead. A couple of games were postponed due to different reasons while the fixture between Forest Green and Oldham was abandoned early in the second half due to fog.
Last season, the home fixture against Salford City proved the Stags’ problems against newly-promoted sides as Salford out of four shots on target scored twice and won to a 2-1 scoreline at One Call. But this was also due to poor defending against a then new side to preview in their EFL debut season in which they were in tenth position when play was halted. The halting of last season also meant that the away game at Salford neither was played nor even previewed, as that fixture became the first one not to be previewed at all as well as the game at Salford was normally due to be played on March 17, 2020, three days efter the cancelled fixture against Crewe Alexandra at One Call.
Last season, Salford just like the Stags fared better on the road than at headquarters. Five Salford wins at home was bettered into eight on their travels. But this season, Salford are unbeaten at home, but along with the Stags and Barrow home-draw specialists with six stalemates apiece, but on eleven Salford home fixtures compared to ten apiece for the Stags and the Bluebirds. But on the road, Salford are one out of two sides yet to draw. The other side are the one the Stags beat away on Boxing Day, namely Scunthorpe. Out of Salford’s away fixtures, they have won four and and now lost five, mainly low-scoring games, proved by winning against this season’s newcomers Barrow and Harrogate respectively by the only goal of the game as well as the reverse last Saturday.
Just a few seasons ago, Salford City played in the Northern Premier League, finishing third there as late as in the 2015-16 season, eventually winning the playoff final against Workington after winning the NPL Division One North the previous campaign.
Well in their first Conf North campaign in 2016-17 (after having kayoed Notts County and earned a replay against Hartlepool in the FA cup in 2015-16), Salford finished fourth but lost the playoff semifinal to FC Halifax Town. In the 2017-18 campaign, Salford were crowned Conf North Champions six points ahead of Harrogate Town. In that campaign, Salford faced ex-league clubs like Boston, Kidderminster, York City, Darlington, Southport and Stockport. Bradford PA might have been added, that that club is a successor to the one who were voted out in favour of Cambridge United way back in 1970 and that Bradford club did only face the Stags on nine occasion in League history.
In the National League, Salford finished in third position after winning nine out of their final twelve fixtures. And in the playoffs, they first beat Eastleigh on penalties, the went on to beat AFC Fylde to a 3-0 scoreline in the final to became the first side to go from National League North to League Two in consecutive seasons. Incredibly enough, Salford’s first-ever National League was against Leyton Orient, a 1-1 home draw. But that was not the first time the promoted sides to be met on the opening day as the Stags faced Newport at home on the opening day of the 2012-13 seasons.
Even in the last few seasons, three players with previous Stags experience have played for Salford. The first one was Simon Grand, who played a handful Stags fixtures around 2010, then represented Salford in 2016-17. Grand has this season played for Chester in Conf North.
The second Salford connection needs no introduction. The tale is of Matt Green, who shot the Stags back into the EFL in 2013 by virtue of loads of goals, most notably the injury-time winner at Hereford and the penalty against Wrexham which sealed the return. Add to that, goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup in January 2013 as well. After being released by Lincoln City, Green played 21 games for Salford, six of those as sub, and netted four times.
The third connection played for Salford 25 times in their inaugural EFL campaign and has this season come on as sub on six occasions, the latest in the final minute of Salford’s 2-0 home victory against Walsall on Boxing Day. The tale is of Emmanuel Dieseruvwe. After his loan spell at the Stags late on in the 2015-16 campaign, Dieseruvwe also played for Boston and Kidderminster.
Expect a tight game on Tuesday night. Come on Mansfield!