Neil Wood salutes Salford character after dramatic victory at Walsall

Posted Sunday, April 23, 2023 by PA

Manager Neil Wood hailed Salford’s never-say-die attitude after the 10-man play-off chasers produced more late heroics with a last-gasp 3-2 win at Walsall.

The visitors led through Callum Hendry’s early header but Louie Barry saw red for lashing out at Joe Low before Jamille Matt nodded Walsall level.

Conor McAleny’s 88th-minute goal put Salford back ahead but Walsall equalised in stoppage time through Conor Wilkinson only for Matty Lund to win it with a deflected 20-yarder.

Victory lifted Salford to sixth and mirrored their 3-2 win at AFC Wimbledon over Easter when they scored twice in stoppage time and survived a missed Dons penalty.

Wood said: “I thought after the Wimbledon game you only get those once a season but credit to the players because they showed some character.

“It’s not a one-off, it’s not a coincidence, it’s part of us. We keep going and this squad of players never gives up, they go to the end.

“We’ve got a big game next against Carlisle – we can only look after what we can do, we’ve got to go out to win the next two games, if we do hopefully that puts us in a really strong position.”

While Salford sit sixth, that is only by virtue of goal difference and both of the sides level on 72 points with them – Bradford and Mansfield – have a game in hand.

“There’s big games around us – we’ve got two left, some teams have got three left,” Wood added.

“High-pressure games – it’s a mentality of going into games knowing you have to win, that’s different, that’s new but I feel we are in good form.”

For Walsall, defeat means they have won just once in 21 – a run that cost Michael Flynn his job in midweek – and they slipped to 17th.

Interim boss Mat Sadler said: “I would have an argument with anyone who didn’t believe the players didn’t give everything they had and I truly believe they gave every part of them.

“They want to feel better about themselves – nobody wants to be on a one-win-in-21 run. Belief when you are on a run like that is really low and it’s hard to come by.

“You have to find it in little things and barring 15 minutes at the start of the game I think there were some moments where you could see them visibly growing in belief.

“It meant a lot to the players to try to put things right and it’s just absolutely gutting it just fell short at the end.

“We all wanted to get that win, we all wanted not to be feeling like where we are now. What I will hold on to is the fact they really did give everything.”