via Salford City FC.

Salford City returned to winning ways and moved closer to qualification for the Vertu Trophy knockout round with an impressive 3-1 win over local rivals Stockport County.

Josh Austerfield opened the scoring for the Ammies, curling his effort into the bottom right corner, after some clever play from Jay Bird.

Bird doubled the hosts’ lead after the break, with his first goal for the club, calmly slotting his penalty past Stockport keeper Corey Addai, after Ben Woodburn was pushed in the box by Corey O’Keeffe.

Substitute Kallum Cesay rubbed salt in the visitors’ wounds with just over 20 minutes to go, playing a one-two with Nicholas Siri, before firing home at the near post.

Odin Bailey grabbed what proved to be a consolation goal with six minutes of normal time to go, denying Ammies shot stopper Mark Howard a clean sheet.

Salford came into the game looking for a win after two successive losses in the league, but also to take control of their group, after a 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic in their first fixture. 

Their opponents were unbeaten in four League One matches and also won their opening game 5-3 against Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy. 

The first chance fell to the hosts in the opening five minutes, as Stockport failed to clear from a corner, allowing Bird to find space for a shot which County keeper Addai was equal to. 

The visitors struggled to find a foothold in the opening half an hour but were unlucky not to be ahead on two occasions, as Owen Moxon and Corey O’Keeffe were both denied by the crossbar. 

Moxon was the first to be stopped by the upright on six minutes, as his powerful effort took a nick on the way through, before clipping the crossbar and going over for a corner. 

O’Keeffe’s effort 20 minutes later was even closer, as Jack Diamond did well to knock it down for his teammate, before Barnsley loanee O’Keeffe looked to curl it into the top right corner, but was again denied by the goal’s frame. 

Salford broke the deadlock against the run of play seven minutes later, having frustrated their opponents out of possession. 

Bird again did well to find space down the right and he whipped a delightful cross to teenager Kyrell Malcolm, whose mishit effort fell to Austerfield, who calmly sat his man down, before slotting into the bottom right corner. 

Stockport looked to respond before the break, as two huge chances went begging in injury time. 

Firstly, Hatters striker Nathan Lowe was denied by veteran keeper Howard from close range, before he remarkably turned it behind after Callum Connolly reached the rebound. 

Just a minute later, former Manchester City youngster Lewis Fiorini found acres of space in the box, but spurned his shot well wide, allowing the hosts to head into the break with a 1-0 advantage. 

Salford had the chance to double their advantage from the penalty spot ten minutes into the second half, as O’Keeffe brought down Woodburn, allowing Bird to dispatch the spot kick coolly down the middle. 

Karl Robinson’s side began to dominate after going two up and had a flurry of chances. Woodburn saw a low effort from the edge of the box go just wide before Siri won posession on the edge of the opposition penalty area and forced another smart save from Addai.

Cesay made Salford even more comfortable in the 70th minute. Bird was involved again, working it to Cesay, who worked it well with Siri in the box and fired past Addai from six yards out.

Stockport denied the Ammies a clean sheet, with a rare second-half chance, as Bailey’s snapshot found its way into the bottom left corner.

Cesay looked to grab his second and Salford’s fourth as the clocked ticked over 90, driving an effort towards the County goal, but saw his effort saved by Addai this time.

The result leaves the Ammies in the driving seat in their Vertu Trophy group, sitting on six points, three ahead of Stockport and Wolves Academy, with far superior goal difference, needing just a point when they face the young Wolves at the start of November, to confirm their place in the knockout stages.

It’s a return to league action for Salford at the weekend, as they face eighth-place Chesterfield, looking to bounce back from consecutive defeats and reignite their push for the automatic spots.

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