[ 11 Apr 26 ] Salford City v GILLS Match Thread

[Garawa]

- The Gills have won 4 of the 7 meetings with Salford but 4 came in the first 5 meetings. The reverse fixture was lost after drawing this fixture back in April last season.
- The 2-2 draw at Salford last season (April 2025) followed wins for the Gills there, each with a clean sheet, in March 2024 and May 2023.
- 3 of Salford's 5 home league defeats this season came in consecutive matches came at the end of January into February. Since then, they have won all of the 5 home games played since, scoring 9 goals and conceding 2.
- Salford started the season with 21 wins from their opening 36 league and cup matches with the latter 12 of those games producing 9 wins and just 1 defeat. Since those, they lost 6 out of 7 (including 5 in a row) but they have recovered to win 6 of their last 8.
- 6th placed Salford have the fewest number of draws in League 2 with 4 in their 42 games (they have lost 15, only 1 more than the Gills). They have won 23, the joint highest total in the division along with Notts County (3rd) and Bromley (1st).
- After 9 consecutive scoring games (scoring 13 goals in the process), Salford have had 2 blank sheets in their last 4 games during which they scored 3 goals. After 4 clean sheets in 5 games, Salford have also kept 1 clean sheet in the 5 since, conceding 1 goal in each of the other 4 games.
- There has been just 1 goal scored by Salford in the first halves of their previous 7 league games. They have also only conceded just 1 goal before half time in the previous 8.

[Sat 11th April 2026] EFL Sky Bet League 2: Salford City v Gillingham FC
Opposition Manager: Karl Robinson Matchday Team: Matthew Young, [c] Luke Garbutt, Brandon Cooper, Adebola Oluwo, Haji Mnoga (Cole Stockton), Josh Austerfield (Fabio Borini), Matt Butcher, Jorge Grant, Rosaire Longelo, Ryan Graydon (Kadeem Harris), Daniel Udoh
Opposition League Position: Sky Bet League 2 (6th)
Referee: Stephen Parkinson
Attendance: 4,303 (522)

(15:00) Kick Off [ 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 ]
(15.11) A curling effort by Longelo hits the frame of the goal due to the power when it was looking to be curling in.
(15.17) A vital challenge in the Salford penalty area by Palmer-Houlden. The hosts want a penalty but the referee says it is perfectly timed and awards a corner.
(15.24) Udoh celebrates a goal but it is ruled out for offside.
(15.38) Really good defending from Smith. He chases down Graydon and puts in a perfect tackle as the forward was through with only Morris to beat.
(15.45) A curling cross arrives at the back post but is headed well over from a good position.
(15.45) Two minutes will be added to the half.
(15.48) Half time 0-0

(16.04) The second half kicks off.
(16.08) Austerfield drives a shot into the ground that goes wide.
(16.42) Smith lays off for Hutton in the 6 yard box whose shot is heading for the near post but is blocked and it trickles narrowly wide of the far post instead.
(16.46) Borini puts it wide from a good position.
(16.49) The 4th official indicates a minimum of 4 additional minutes.
(16.53) Fantastic double save by Morris as part of Longelo hitting the post for a second time in the match just as the 4 minutes end and time added to the additional minutes starts.
(16.55) A quick break by Gills ends with Palmer-Houlden blazing over in excitement and with Dack in space with the final kick of the match.
(16.55) FULL TIME 0-0

Gills' League Position After Game: 17th
Match Report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c0mj4e0243mt
Match highlights: https://youtu.be/hrIWkP4toi8?si=13FfWhwR9P0YSY1S