Salford City

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DECEMBER 2018



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We start the month in good fashion here with an impressive 3-1 win.

It took us a little while for us to get going but once we did we looked unstoppable. Brandy opened the scoring with just 20 minutes to go after Calvert-Lewin had played him through on goal.

We doubled the lead from a corner when Scott Garner headed home. Guiseley got one back but Kelvin Douglas made sure of the points with an injury time goal with a good finish from the edge of the box. This was his 3rd​ goal in 2 games after replacing the injured Jack Blake.



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A very good win against relegation threatened Sutton Utd.

We were absolutely brilliant today and really should have scored 3 or 4.

Kayne Diedrick-Roberts put in his best game for us by scoring both goals. The second was really something special as he finished off from a cross by Brandy on the full volley right into the top corner. Sutton came at us more in the second half but still failed to have a single shot on target.



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Our first defeat in 6 games in a game that was always going to be tough as we took on 4th​ placed Newport.

Newport took the lead from a free-kick just after the half hour mark. They weren’t in front for long though as Kayne Diedrick-Roberts drew us level just 8 minutes later. Just as it looked to peter out for a draw, Newport struck a late winner to claim all 3 points.



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We were poor here in a game we really should be winning.

Eastleigh deserved their point, although Fitzpatrick did have a great chance to win it late on but his effort was well saved. Fitzpatrick only in the side due to a further injury to Febian Brandy who misses another 2 weeks of the season.

Kayne Diedrick-Roberts got us out of a hole today by twice brining us level. His first was a good finish from a cross in from Sadiq El-Fitouri who’s really coming into his own now. His second was very similar only the cross coming from Fitzpatrick on the left side.



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A good win here without really being at our best.

David Fitzpatrick carried on his brilliant form by netting the only goal of the game. The goal came when El-Fitouri put in a cross which was only half cleared, the ball fell to Fitzpatrick 12 yards out as he smashes it home. He’s now got 8 goals in his 23 appearances.

​


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Another good month with just one defeat.

The defeat came against a decent Newport side firmly in the play off spots.

We also made it through in the Fa Trophy after a routine 2-0 win over Sutton Utd.


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We climbed up the league this month and overtook Wrexham into second place.

We also narrowed the gap to Braintree to just 2 points after they suffered a bit of a dip in form. They do still have a game in hand though which could take their lead to 5 points.

​


December really became a month about injury problems though ...

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He's done really well coming in for Brandy and probably having his best season so far with 8 goals and 5 assists already.

With Brandy out for another week or so and James Poole also ruled out for a month we might be struggling in the wide areas next game.



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Having a good season despite my coaches thinking he’s not good enough for this level. There’s talk of Boreham Wood in League 2 being interested in signing him so this injury will hurt us.

McDonald is a good replacement though so hopefully it won't harm us too much.


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It would happen as the lads enjoying his best spell in his career! With him and Blake now injured we may need to look for a replacement, even if it’s a short term solution.


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He's been brilliant after replacing Jack Blake who’s still looking at another month or so out.

He’s an average rating of 7.74 which is the 4th​ best in the squad, just behind Jack Blake.

​


Our good form also meant other people started taking notice ...


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Why on earth would I take this with Lincoln sitting 3rd bottom and can't buy a win.

They were involved in the play offs last season however so do have potential. I'd much rather stick it out for a title challenge with Salford.

The only thing that would make me look elsewhere are the clubs finances ...

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We're already over half a million in debt and the projections don't look any better ...

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We're projected to be in £1.4 million worth of debt by the end of the season and over £2 million the following season!

Doesn't look good!

​


Back to football matters though ...


PLAYER OF THE MONTH


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KAYNE DIEDRICK-ROBERTS


5 goals in 5 games takes his tally to 10 in 18 this season as he’s now taken the number 9 role as his own.

The decision this month was so difficult with Kelvin Douglas, David Fitzpatrick and Sadiq El-Fitouri also in the form of their lives.​
 
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JANUARY 2019



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A brilliant start to the month as we bossed Aldershot from start to finish.

With all our wingers out injured, we pushed Sadiq El-Fitouri moving into right midfield from right full back. It was the right hand side that the first goal came from, Kayne Diedrick-Roberts finishing off from a cross.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin then doubled our lead with a brilliant solo goal as he cut in from the left and curled his effort into the far post. Sadiq El-Fitouri then rounded off a brilliant first half performance by making it 3-0.

He played a lovely 1-2 with Elliot Whitehouse and finished the move off with a good finish as he looked to enjoy his more attacking role today. He took our foot off the gas in the second half as the game was already won.

Aldershot got one back after getting the better of McDonald, who had come into the side to replace the injured Garner. In truth though they never even threatened to get back into the game.




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A tough game here against 5th​ placed Ebbslfeet and one we really failed to perform in. We were right off form from the very start and deserved the defeat. This now puts us 9 points behind leaders Braintree.



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Again we were no where near our best but managed to get the all important win.

Kayne Diedrick-Roberts missed out through injury which meant that young Nathan Naylor who signed in the summer came in for his professional debut. Andy boy did he impress, scoring both goals and winning the man of the match award.

Febian Brandy also came back into the side today and supplied the cross for Naylor to head home for his first. Whitehouse then played him through for his second deep in injury time. On both occasions Naylor showed great composure.


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Just about did enough here against much weaker opponents.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin grabbed the opener with a good finish from the left hand side of the penalty area. The game was effectively won when Elliot Kebbie scored a wonderful finish into the top corner. Kebbie had only come on the pitch due to Brandy picking up yet another injury which forced him off.



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Brandy was ruled out injured for this game so Elliot Kebbie got his start and repaid the faith. He won us the game by scoring both goals, the second one a really good finish.



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Again, not a great performance but we still managed to get the win.

Nathan Naylor capitalised on a short back pass as he beat the keeper to the ball and slotted away as he recorded his 3rd​ in 4 games. Kayne Diedrick-Roberts has now resumed full training now though so we’ll have to see if Naylor can keep his place in the side.


​


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Another brilliant month with 5 wins from the 6 games.

The only defeat coming against Ebbsfleet who are challenging for the play off themselves.

Despite this good run, we find ourselves further away from top spot ...


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We move 6 behind Braintree who have really picked up form, and also won their game in hand!

The title's still a possibility but we're relying on Braintree to falter a little.

​


We left the transfer window well alone with this month, given the clubs financial position I think that was wise.

The only activity we did was to keep someone here ...


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Febian Brandy signed a new 18 month contract which runs until the end of next season.

It looked as though we'd be losing him at the start of the season but I guess our title challenge has changed his mind.


Just as he signed the contract though the inevitable happened ...

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Brandy was ruled out for another month with yet another injury!

It's becoming a joke now how little he's played for us this season, no wonder he's signed a new deal!

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These are the injuries Brandy's picked up since joining us!

Bare in mind that he only joined last summer he's already missed several months of action.


​

One other bit of news ...


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The final game of the month saw me in charge for the 200th game!

To make it even better, we managed a 1-0 win over a very decent Bristol Rovers side.

​


PLAYER OF THE MONTH


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SADIQ EL-FITOURI


Ever improving for us after a really disappointing first few games he had for us. He’s now got an average rating of 7.82 which is the second best in the league, just behind Elliot Whitehouse. He’s helped us also claim the best defensive record in the league.​
 
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FEBRUARY 2019


With a couple of good months, we'd put ourselves right in the hunt for a title challenge. We just needed to keep this run going and hope that Braintree let up once or twice.


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What the **** happened here!

We’ve gone from having the best defence in the division to conceding 4 against a Lincoln side deep in the relegation zone.

The game was always going to have an edge after I turned them down earlier in the season.

Despite conceding an early goal, we did well to get back into it and then take the lead with Diedrick-Roberts scoring both goals on his return to the side after injury. We then made it 3 when Fitzpatrick, also back in the side after injury finished well.

After this though we totally fell apart, conceding 2 goals in less than 5 minutes as Lincoln drew level. Lincoln the grabbed the winner with a late goal from Connor Dimaio after we failed to clear out lines from a long throw into the box.



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What the **** !!

8 goals conceded in 2 games from a side with the best defence in league! This one I can at least explain a bit more as we went so attacking at 2-2, we then had Victor Nirennold red carded which left us seriously exposed at the back.



Just before the next game, we got some welcome news ...

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Perfect timing as we're in the middle of our worst form of the season, conceding 8 goals in the last 2 games.

Kelvin Douglas came in and performed really well but no one can replace this lad!


Back to the football though and the next result was a slight improvement ...

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I say only a slight improvement as they're still in the 7th division and should have been an easy win.

It was a routine win as we set up more defensively after our shocking defensive run of late.

Jack Blake made a return to the starting line up with a goal, an assist and the man of the match award. It was as if he hadn't been away.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin grabbed his 11th of the season just minutes before.



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A good win and one we really needed!

Febian Brandy was back to his best today with 2 goals and the man of the match award. Elliot Whitehouse got himself on the scoresheet inbetween Brandy’s efforts with a well taken penalty.

This keeps our title challenge going we now move 6 behind Braintree, who still have their game in hand.



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Another good win and another one we can thank Brandy for. He score both goals which means he’s got 4 in the last 2 now. Both his goals came from crosses from the right hand side.



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A wasted opportunity here! Kelvin Douglas grabbed the opener with his 4th​ of the season before Macclesfield equalised just after the hour mark. This gives Braintree another chance to increase their lead at the top.

​


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A terrible start but we pulled it back a little with a decent finish to the month.

I really can't explain the first 2 results as they're so unlike us this season!

We need Braintree to start slipping up now more than ever ...


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And they did do, just not enough.

They also lost during this period which means we'd be top had we won the first 2 games!

They still have a game in hand too which means they can still stretch their lead to 8 points.

​


PLAYER OF THE MONTH

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FEBIAN BRANDY


Back to his best here with 4 goals in 5 games.

We've missed him this season as he’s been restricted to just 13 league games all season.​
 
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MARCH 2019



Getting near the crunch time now, a few good results here and we'll be right behind Braintree who have been faltering themselves of late.



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The first game of the month was a distraction from the league as we took on Harrogate in the Fa Trophy 3rd round.

A good start to the month with a very routine win over Harrogate who are still plying their trade in the Vanarama North.

Kayne Diedrick-Roberts took his tally to 16 for the season with 2 more today. Brandy then made it 3-0 before the half hour mark before we took our foot off the gas with the game won at that early stage.



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What a collapse! 2-0 up with just over an hour to play.

We got to within 2 points of Braintree at the top during this game but instead find ourselves 5 adrift with 9 to go.

We started really well with early goals from Elliot Whitehouse and Diedrick-Roberts but we allowed Forest Green back into the game and drew level with 5 minutes to go.



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Back to the Fa Trophy here, this time the semi finals.

This possibly puts the tie beyond us with Lincoln scoring a late second goal.

We had plenty of the ball and plenty of efforts on goal but we were so wasteful with Calvert-Lewin in particular missing a number of chances.



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It was always going to be tough coming back from 2 goals down from the 1st​ leg but this was really disappointing!

Lincoln frustrated us really well by playing very defensively. We went so attacking in the second half that Lincoln managed to hit us on the break to put the game to bed.



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Back to league action and Kayne Diedrick-Roberts got another 2 goals which takes his tally to 5 for the month in the 4 games played.

His second goal today was one of real quality as he turned the defender on the edge of the box and finished into the top corner. Margate got a late consolation which made the last 20 minutes or so a little nervy. Braintree only a managed a draw here which means we close the gap to just 3 points.



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Under normal circumstances this would be a good draw against 3rd​ placed Wrexham but it’s still got to be classed as 2 points dropped.

Especially when Kayne Diedrick-Roberts scored his 20th of the season to give us the lead.

Wrexham got one back through Dominic Vose with a great strike from 25 yards out. Braintree pulled further away with them now 5 clear, although we do have a game in hand.



​


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A bit of a disappointing month really. It's more a story of missed opportunities than anything else.

Our league form wasn't bad but the 2 draws could really come back to hurt us, especially the one against Forest Green after being 2-0 up.

I was more disappointed with the Fa Trophy performances though as we were comfortably beaten over 2 legs by a bang average Lincoln side. This was the chance of silverware this season and we blew it.


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Braintree pull even further infront and now see their lead stretch to 5 points, although we now have a game in hand after the two Fa Trophy games.

7 games left for us and realistically we probably need to win 5 or 6 of them to stand any chance. The only shining light is that Braintree aren't in the best of forms themselves and will no doubt drop points in the run in.

We also play each other in the penultimate game which could be a title decider!

​


PLAYER OF THE MONTH

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KAYNE DIEDRICK-ROBERTS


6 goals in 6 games capps of a brilliant run of form and takes his tally to 20 for the season which puts him 4th in the league’s top goalscorer chart.

He's really come good this season to say he struggled to get into the side at the beginning of the season. Hopefully this form can carry on for the rest of the season.​
 
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THE RUN IN


Here we go then, 7 games remaining and probably 5 or 6 wins needed to have any chance of overtaking Braintree!


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Not the best start as we drop 2 more points in a disappointing performance!

Despite us being rubbush all game, we took the lead through Dominic Calvert-Lewin who scored from an almost impossible angle to give us real hope.

Stevenage kept knocking on the door though throughout the second half and eventually pulled level with 3 minutes left to play. Even worse, is that Braintree got a late winner to extend their lead at the top to 7 points, although we do still have our game in hand.


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It's looking more and and more unlikely now as Braintree won their game to go 7 points clear.

It's still doable as one of the final games is against Braintree, if we can stay within 2 or 3 points of them by then, then we've got a chance.

​


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A good win here in what was our game in hand.

Kayne Diedrick-Roberts scored yet again to open the scoring as his great form continued. Dominic Calvert-Lewin then doubled the lead just before half time with a brilliant solo goal.

He cut in from the left wing, took on his man and curled his effort into the far post. With this being our game in hand, we close the gap to 4 points with 5 games remaining, we also secure our play off spot with this win.


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We close the gap on Braintree by winning this game in hand.

4 points is now the difference with 5 to play.

We're now 8 unbeaten in the league, if only a couple of the draws had been wins, we'd be well in-front by now.

​


Just before the next game, we had some more injury news (like we didn't have enough already) ...

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Elliot Whitehouse is set to be ruled out for another month.

Kelvin Douglas is the obvious replacement but Whitehouse has now probably overtaken Jack Blake as the most important player in the squad.

​


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Just about got the job done here, sadly though so did Braintree.

It was a real drab game and we got more and more nervous as the game went on, especially with Braintree winning. We threw on all attacking options with 20 minutes to go and it paid off.

The opener was an own goal after Christian Hill whipped in the corner which the defender headed into his own goal at the near post. We made sure of the win just a minute later with another defensive error. Nathan Naylor netting the all important second goal after the ‘keeper fumbled an effort from Brandy which Naylor was quickest to react to to make sure of the win.


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Time's running out now!

We're still 4 behind with 4 to play. The game against Braintree in a couple of weeks is getting more important week by week.

We just need one slip up from them though and we'll then have the chance to overtake them when we play each other.
​

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3 wins in a row including 3 clean sheets now which extends our unbeaten league run to 10 games.

The best news though was a defeat to Braintree which took the gap right down to just a single point.

Sadiq El-Fitouri got the opener from the penalty spot. It was an unusual choice of taker but he did well, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The second goal was a little fortuitous when the ball was diverted into the Guiseley goal off one of their defenders.


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There we have it then, a defeat for Braintree brings the difference to just a single point.

We're now in a position where if we win all our remaining games we'll be champions. With only 3 to play, this is a serious opportunity.

​


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This now makes it 4 wins in a row. .

Sadiq El-Fitouri got the opener again from the penalty spot, just as he did in the previous game. Febian Brandy made it 2-0 just after half time after Diedrick-Roberts had played through a lovely ball which he finished well.

With the last 3 games all finishing 2-0, I was sure this one would too. That was until Alex Marrow hit us on the break to make the last few minutes a nervous time for us.


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The best news of the day was Braintree drawing away to Stockport which gave us the chance to overtake them into top spot.

With us playing Braintree next, the league is now in our hands.

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PLAYER OF THE MONTH:

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SADIQ EL-FITOURI


Wins this award again after a really good spell.

He’s recorded an average rating of 8.26 and scored 2 goals in this period, although both were penalties. He’s proving to be one of our best attacking options from right back and has also proved to be better defensively than I thought.​
 
Good luck with the last couple of games, it's looking more likely you can do it :D
 
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THE TITLE DECIDER


A real chance here then in the penultimate game of the season. We currently lie in top spot and have the chance to clinch the title today if we beat our nearest, and only challengers, Braintree.

Braintree have been in some indifferent form losing one and drawing the other of their last 2 games. Their dip in form has allowed us to overtake them.



So, lets see how both sides line up ...


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We set up a little more cautiously today by dropping the wingers back to help out the midfield.

The big news from the line up is the return of Elliot Whitehouse. He was ruled out a couple of weeks ago with the medical team thinking he'll be out for a month. He's recovered much quicker but is still a big risk today and I'll be shocked if he lasts the full game.

The big news for Braintree was their man striker, Sam Ford only making the bench. Ford'***** 5 in his 6 games and often these have been match winning goals as well.

The bad news though is that Jack Beesley does start up front for them. He's not quite in full form at the minute but is still the divisions top goalscorer with 29 goals.


The important thing today is to avoid defeat, avoid defeat and we only have to win our last game of the season.

If Braintree beat us here then they only have to win their final game to secure the title! It's all very complicated!

​


Lets see if we can clinch the title then ....

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We couldn't quite clinch the title this afternoon but at least it's still in our own hands after this draw.

Braintree started like a train and really should have gone 2 or 3 up early on.

They did manage to take the lead after just 7 minutes, Chez Isaac with a curling effort from the corner of the penalty area.

They continued to dominate as they were showing us up and making us look really poor.

As it stood Braintree were top and had the title in their grasp.


We got back into the game though when Febian Brandy headed the ball at the far post, his effort hitting the bar and cannoning off the goalkeeper and in. It went down as an own goal but all the credit has to go to Brandy who did well at the far post.

Braintree took control again but our defence was much better and snuffed out any chances they created.

Nothing else meaningful happened until the 70th​ minute when Sam Ford, who had come on as a sub, was clean through on goal, only to see his effort tipped onto the post from Vaughan.

We had a chance to win the game ourselves with just 5 minutes to go when Diedrick-Roberts took a shot from the edge of the box but his effort was well saved.

A draw was probably a fair result although I doubt Braintree will see it that way though.


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I'm pretty pleased with a draw though, it means the title is still in our own hands as we now must better Braintree's result in the final game of the season, where we take on Sutton Utd.​
 
Good luck with the final game, I'm rooting for you :D:D
 
Great story so far mate, keep up the great work! Can't wait to see Salford City go higher and higher up the divisions, maybe even see them in the Premier League? ;)
 
Dalace said:
Good luck with the final game, I'm rooting for you :D:D
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Thanks mate :) should really be beating Sutton Utd :)

Linecoigne1998 said:
Great story so far mate, keep up the great work! Can't wait to see Salford City go higher and higher up the divisions, maybe even see them in the Premier League? ;)
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Thanks man :) That's the plan but we're still some way off! League 2 was a big target so hopefully we can do that now :)
 
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FINAL GAME OF THE SEASON



Here we have it then, the final game of the season!

After drawing against Braintree, we now just to match their result in order to win the league as they take on a mid tabled York side with nothing to play for.

A win would guarantee the championship in a game we should be winning after Sutton only just survived relegation with a game to spare.


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We make just one change with David Fitzpatrick coming in for Dominic Calvert-Lewin who misses the game with a slight injury.

It’s not ideal but Fitzpatrick is currently having his best season of his career so hopefully he can carry this on.

​


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There we have it, we’re champions!

What a ridiculous game to clinch it though.

Just like the last game, we made a really poor start and were made to pay for this when Sutton took the lead after 13 minutes.

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The nerves really started going then with Braintree still drawing 0-0, they temporarily went top of the league.

That didn’t last long though with Jack Blake equalising less than 60 seconds late. I guess the big players come good at the important times. He hit a brilliant strike from the edge of the box, scoring his 8th​ of the season in the process.

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In a ridiculous few minutes though, Sutton re-took the lead when Victor Nirennold missed his header in the box and allowed Montano to make it 2-1.

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The nerves were really going when Sutton Utd went 3-1 up by converting a penalty after Nirennold had handled in the penalty area. Braintree were winning at this point and the title looked gone!

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Kayne Diedrick-Roberts got his first of the afternoon just aftet the half hour mark to pull one back. He latched onto a short back pass and finished from just a couple of yards out. We were still behind Braintree at this point though and needed the win!

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The minutes ticked by without much happening right until the 78th​ minute when Diedrick-Roberts grabbed his second after finishing off a cross in by Brandy. This drew us level but still left us needing one more.

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We got that one more just 2 minutes later when Febian Brandy made it 4-3 with a good finish from a Sadiq El-Fitouri low cross from the right.

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As it stood, the title was ours. Even better news was an equaliser from York which meant we could now afford to draw and we’d still be crowned champions.

We made sure of the win though when Kayne Diedrick-Roberts finished off a hattrick with a smart finish late on.
And that’s how it finished, 5-3 here and 1-1 at Braintree meaning we were crowned champions and could look forward to league football.


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​
 
Congrats on the promotion :D knew you could do it and you must be proud of the entire team :D

Roll on next season and, with promotion now, your bank balance will be healthier now?
 
Dalace said:
Congrats on the promotion :D knew you could do it and you must be proud of the entire team :D

Roll on next season and, with promotion now, your bank balance will be healthier now?
Click to expand...

Thanks mate :) I can't believe it to be honest, most of the players are from the lower leagues which makes it more pleasing.

You'd think so wouldn't you? Sadly, it isn't!
 
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END OF SEASON


After a brilliant campaign, I let the lads celebrate whilst I concentrated on the most important pre-season in the clubs history as we prepare for League football for the first time in the clubs history.


Before we get into that though I thought I'd bring you some stat's from last season ...



END OF SEASON AWARDS:

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Big surprise here as Elliot Whitehouse overtakes Jack Blake to become the fans favourite and win the 'fans player of the season'. New signing Sadiq El-Fitouri also got a mention, coming just behind them in 3rd.

El-Fitouri did manage to claim a prize though as he claimed the 'signing of the season' award by beating Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kayne Diedrick-Roberts.

Jack Blake also went on to win the 'young player of the season' for the 3rd straight season, surely he's too old for this now!

​



TOP GOALSCORERS:

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Despite starting the season on the bench, Kayne Diedrick-Roberts put in a great season and came second in the league's top goalscoring chart.

He was some way behind Jake Beesley who won the award with a seriously impressive 29 goals.

Diedrick-Roberts can still be proud of himself though and he's still only 20 years old so can hopefully improve further in the coming years.

​



AVERAGE RATING:

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Elliot Whitehouse won the league's best player for the second straight season. His average rating dropped slightly from 7.95 to 7.88 but is still very impressive and the best in the league.

Jack Blake finished just behind him in second with a rating of 7.75 but can look back on this season with a bit of frustration after missing a lot of football through injury.

New signing, Sadiq El-fitouri rounded off the top 3 finishing just behind Blake on 7.73.


Last season we had the top 4 players in the division, this year we've got the top 3. All very impressive.


​


SQUAD PLAYERS:

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Obviously Whitehouse, Blake and El-Fitouri ran the show here but there were a couple of other impressive displays.

Kelvin Douglas was the next player down in terms of average rating, recording a rating of 7.44 in the 32 games he played. I'm really happy with Douglas as he's not a starter but came into the side brilliantly to replace Jack Blake when he was injured.

Elliot Kebbie came next despite only making 13 appearances. He came in and played both right back and right wing but was always ever a squad player.

Febian Brandy will be a little disappointed with this after his brilliant season last time out. His whole season has been hampered with injury as he may look to offload him for someone we can rely on playing 40 games a season.
​



MANAGER OF THE SEASON:

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But the biggest prize of all went to me! Winning the manager of the year award!

There was never really any doubt with this as we defined the odds and won the league.

A win percentage of 58% was far above either of the other nominees.

​


FINANCES

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You'd think promotion would help our finances but looking at this I don't think it has!

We're still over half a million in debt and with hardly any money coming in!

I just don't know where it all goes, our wage bill isn't excessive large and I can't see where else it's all going.

​



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I'm not sure if this will help our financial state or not!

It will certainly help bringing players in though as we should be able to offer sensible contracts from now on.




So, we now all concentrate on pre-season as we prepare for league football!​
 
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With the lads on holiday, I was depressing myself by looking at the clubs finances.

Peter Lim said he’s not be putting any more money in as it’s cost him enough already. So we had two choices, spend less or earn more!

I decided to try and earn more …


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I used all my contacts to try and arrange a friendly with one of the biggest clubs on the planet!

I couldn’t believe it but they agreed.


Even better news came shortly after …


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It turns out the board were right to expand the ground when they did a couple of seasons ago.

7000 fans expected to visit Moor Lane in what will be a record attendance.


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Should bring in a few more pounds, £4000 to be precise.

Now I don’t think that this game alone with sort the finances out but it should bring in around £60k which we can’t be turning down.

It’s also a great experience for all the players, staff and fans.​
 
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With the Man Utd friendly less than a week away, I was getting increasingly worried about the scoreline. Man Utd has just spent £40 odd million signing Martin Odegaard and had a world class squad, despite finishing 5th last season.

I was fearful ... so I decided to bring in a couple of additions for this game only ...



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Spent his whole 19 year playing career at Man Utd, making over 600 appearances. Won 8 Premier League titles, 3 Fa Cups, 2 League Cups and 2 Champions League.

He’ll be the captain of the side but I seriously doubt he’ll last the 90 minutes. His physical stat’s are horrendous but hopefully his decision making and positional play will compensate this.

​


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Probably the fittest amongst us. The main problem I’ve got with Phil is where to play him. His brother Gary obvious takes the RB slot and with me and Butty in midfield he may be forced in at left back.

He was at Man Utd for 10 years before moving on to Everton where he made a further 300 appearances on top of the 386 he made for Man Utd.

6 Premier Leagues, 3 Fa Cups and a Champions League won at Utd.

​


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He spent 12 years at Man Utd after coming through their youth system. He made over 380 appearances before moving on to Newcastle for a further 6 years. He even spent a solitary season in China to finish his playing career.

He’s now a youth team coach at Man Utd where he won the Premier League on 6 occasions, Fa Cup 3 times and the Champions League where he started in the famous comeback against Bayern Munich.



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Probably the player still most capable, he’s probably get in this Salford side every week!

He was at Man Utd for a ridiculous 24 years and made an equally ridiculous 963 appearances, winning 34 trophies along the way.

He's still the assistant manager at Utd so maybe able to get some inside knowledge too.


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Last but not least, the main man! Myself.

My physical stats are even worse than Gary Neville’s which is saying something! I’m sure the lads will love taking the **** of this.

Just get me on the ball though and I’ll make things happen. Like Gary, I spent my whole 20 year playing career at Utd. I won the Premier League 11 times, Fa Cup 3 times, League cup and champions League twice, although I did miss the 1999 final through suspension.​
 
great read been reading this story all week in between work. Congrats on all the successes :)
 
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