Salford City suffered a heartbreaking exit from the Carabao Cup first round after losing 4-3 on penalties to Shrewsbury Town at the New York Stadium. The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Shrewsbury taking an early second-half lead through Josh Davison before Kyrell Malcolm levelled for the Ammies in the 77th minute. Both sides finished with ten men after Salford's Will Aimson received a straight red card in added time following a heated exchange near the dugout, having earlier seen Shrewsbury's Sam Stubbs dismissed for a second bookable offence. The penalty shootout saw nine misses before Arkell Jude-Boyd stepped up to score the decisive spot-kick, sending Shrewsbury through to the second round. Kelly N'Mai had earlier missed a golden chance to give Salford the lead, firing tamely at Shrewsbury goalkeeper Will Brook in the opening stages. The result means Salford City will now turn their full attention to League Two campaign, where they sit mid-table after a mixed start to the season under head coach Peter Cklamovski. The squad will look to build on the spirited performance despite the cup disappointment, with several players gaining valuable minutes in a high-pressure environment. You can review the upcoming fixtures on our fixtures page to see when Salford return to league action. The current squad depth was tested during the match, with younger players called upon due to suspensions and tactical changes, details of which are available on our squad overview. Salford's next league fixture is against Grimsby Town on Saturday 14 September 2026, a crucial encounter as they aim to climb into the playoff positions.