Karl Robinson was delighted after Salford booked their place in the FA Cup fourth round for the first time with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Swindon Town.
Ryan Graydon opened his Salford account with a superb brace, scoring a precise looping header and slotting home coolly to give Karl Robinson’s side a seemingly comfortable second-half lead.
But Ian Holloway’s men hit back when livewire Michael Olakigbe crossed for Ollie Palmer to head in from close range after 55 minutes and drew level on the hour mark through James Ball’s clever flick.
Luke Garbutt scored a superb 68th-minute free-kick to put Salford back ahead in the tie, before Ryan Tafazolli had a late goal ruled out for a foul as Karl Robinson’s men earned a trip to the Etihad stadium where they will face Manchester City for the second successive season.
Thank you for the incredible support tonight Ammies 🫶
We’ll see you back at home on Saturday for Bristol Rovers 🏡#SALSWI pic.twitter.com/tB7n7rE0ou
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) January 20, 2026
After the match, Robinson praised the character of his players, who have beaten three higher-ranked teams in the FA Cup so far.
He said: “It is a testament to the players that they have managed to find their way through to this stage.
“We haven’t had an easy run to this point. We’ve been in some very difficult games and every team we have played against has been in the league above us.
“Last season, we broke a club record by getting to the third round of the cup and missing out on the play-offs by a point or a goal. This year, we have progressed again by reaching the fourth round.”
Robinson took a moment to pay tribute to the success the club has had since the Class of 92 took over the club in 2014, explaining that Salford reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup would have felt like a distant, unrealistic goal.
“Salford City in the FA Cup fourth round, this has been a dream for people. At the beginning, it was: ‘how do we get to the first round, how do we compete in the qualifying stages,’ and now we are here.
“I think we are a much better football club than people give us credit for.
“We are a much better football club than what people give us credit for. And I think that mentality, that clear thought process and clarity behind the direction we’re going in, is reflected on the pitch.”
For the second season running, Salford face a trip to face seven-time FA Cup winners Manchester City, who beat them 8-0 In the competition last season.
He joked that day was “not brilliant” as a manager who watched his team run ragged from the touchline, but admitted that it was a “brilliant occasion for the club.”
Robinson said this season’s cup draw was “a great thing for the supporters and a great thing for players to play on a stage like that.”
He explained: “You’re playing in front of 60,000 people. Come on, is that not what dreams are made of? The FA Cup gives moments to live in your life for the rest of it.
“For the supporters, it’s a great day out. You can have a drink, you can have a pint, you can, you can sing your heart out. You get beat, the league table doesn’t move.”
Salford City will travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City on the weekend of 14 February.
