Macaulay Langstaff’s first-half double secured a 2-1 victory for Salford City over Crawley Town on Saturday. The win keeps the Ammies one point clear at the summit of League Two with 19 points from their opening 10 games, a record of six wins, one draw and three losses. Langstaff opened the scoring after 17 minutes, finishing from a Kallum Cesay assist. He doubled his tally and the lead just five minutes into the second half, again set up by Cesay. Crawley responded quickly, with Dylan Morgan pulling a goal back in the 59th minute, but Salford’s defence held firm through a flurry of second-half substitutions.
Match control
Salford dictated the tempo, enjoying 57% of possession and creating 15 attempts on goal to Crawley’s eight. Their control was reflected in the expected goals metric, which favoured the hosts 1.68 to 0.56. Crawley’s attacking efforts were repeatedly caught offside, flagged six times, while Salford’s discipline kept them onside throughout.
League context
The three points solidify Salford’s position at the top, a point ahead of Barnet. This latest result extends their current winning run to two games, following a 2-0 victory at Cheltenham last weekend where Jorge Grant scored a late brace, his second also assisted by Kallum Cesay. The team's overall goal difference stands at plus five, having scored 15 and conceded 10 this season. Top scorer R. Graydon, with 11 goals this campaign, will be a key figure in the games ahead.
Attention now turns to a quick turnaround and a trip to the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday night. Salford face a Bristol Rovers side sitting ninth in the table on Tuesday 20 October. The Ammies will travel with confidence, having scored 15 goals this season while conceding only 10. Their strong recent results, which also feature a 1-0 win over Fleetwood Town on Saturday 3 October and a 4-1 victory at Oldham on Saturday 26 September, provide a solid platform for the challenge.
