The FA Cup can bring magical footballing moments to our screen as we have seen over the past couple of decades. The story of Salford City has already brought something special to us, we have seen them win in front of the TV cameras before, and on Wednesday night after earning a hard fought draw away at Shrewsbury, they have home advantage in their quest to do it again.

On Wednesday the National League team host League One Shrewsbury, and after seeing them cause upsets in the cup before, plenty of people will be willing Salford on to do it again. They have the pedigree to do it, they have the past experience to do it and I think this game is standing out and screaming cup upset to us.

It is worth pointing out and vital to remember that Shrewsbury are two leagues above Salford, and have an advantage in terms of quality here, albeit not as big as what we may usually see between a League One and National League side. They are solid though, and of course they won’t want to be the subject of a cup upset, so will be going out to stop that from happening and to ensure a passage into the second round and possibly beyond for themselves.

Salford vs Shrewsbury: What Happened in Part 1?

The first game between these two finished 1-1, and while both teams had chances to win the game in the second half of that one, a draw was probably a fair reflection of what happened on the field. Shrewsbury took the lead in the game but couldn’t hold onto it. Managers often talk about the five minute period after scoring a goal and the aim is to remain calm and control that period, well Shrewsbury certainly didn’t do that in the first leg, because they conceded a Salford equaliser just two minutes after they had taken the lead.

Adam Rooney scored the goal for Salford, a player who is going to be vitally important for them this season. They have signed him from Aberdeen in the Scottish Premieship and his pedigree tells you he is a lot better than your average National League striker. His goals are going to fire them towards promotion this season, he will be relied upon to get the job done and get them over the line. Chipping in with goals in the cup won’t hurt too, and he is going to be a big player on Wednesday night.

Both teams will feel they had chances to win the game in the second half, though no one really missed a golden opportunity that will come back and haunt them. The game was good to watch, fairly open with good chances and I think that is exactly what we will see again in this replay. Both teams won’t be scared to attack, they will go out with the mentallity of wanting to win the game, and to put on a show for both the fans in the ground and those who are watching at home.

The Salford City Story

Since being bought a few years ago, Salford City have had more exposure than the rest of the teams in their division combined. Starting life off in the lower reaches of English non-league football they now find themselves on the cusp of promotion to the Football League. All this has come under the stewardship of a group of ex-Manchester United footballers. Gary and Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt own half of the club and they have been pushing things forward at a rapid rate.

There has been some opposition to what has happened at Salford, with non-league purists upset that they have been pouring so much money into the club in an attempt to get into the Football League. They have paid well, attracted players from much higher leagues and you only have to look at the summer signing of Adam Rooney to see the lengths they are going to in an attempt to bring league football to the area.

Whether it is right or wrong, regardless of which side of the fence you sit, it looks as though this could be the year for them after a very solid start to life in the National League. In all competitions, Salford are currently on a 17 game unbeaten run, and they sit second in the league behind ex-league club Leyton Orient. They are just one point behind though, and with plenty of games coming up as this month draws to a close and we move into December, we could see Salford at the top of the National League by Christmas.

Interest in Salford is huge, and should they find themselves in the football league next season, it could rise further. There is a huge story behind this club, with the money invested and the rise they have had through the ranks, which is big enough to capture the media’s attention on its own. However, when you throw in five ex-Manchester United stars, taking their first steps into club ownership then the story simply moves to another level. Whether you agree with what has happened at Salford or not, one thing I can guarantee you is that the attention will continue, and they don’t appear to be going away any time soon.

Salford vs Shrewsbury Betting Tips

Salford under the lights on a dark and likely damp Wednesday evening in November is exactly the kind of place you are likely to find a big cup upset in England, and that is exactly what I think we will find this week. Shrewsbury deserve respect due to the league they are in and their position in that league, but this Salford team is far better than your average National League team, and I don’t think there is too much between these two in terms of quality.

When you factor in the home field advantage that Salford have, coupled with the TV cameras, and the willingness to cause an upset, I don’t see anything between them at all. We have seen Salford command the TV cameras before and shine brightly on them, I think we will see exactly the same happen again here on Wednesday.

There was little to choose between these two in the first game and both teams could have won it, although a draw was a fair result. With home advantage I am backing Salford to come out on top in the second game here, and book their place in the second round once more. This looks to be the most likely cup upset on Wednesday night, and I’m backing it to happen.

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