Salford City 3-2 Swindon Town: Luke Garbutt helps Ammies set up Manchester City clash

Luke Garbutt scored a sublime free-kick as Salford City beat Swindon Town 3-2 in the FA Cup third round to set up a glamour tie with seven-time winners Manchester City.

Manager Karl Robinson described Salford booking their place in the FA Cup fourth round for the first time as “a dream”.

“It is a testament to the players that they have managed to find their way through to this stage.”

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Luke Garbutt netted the winner for Salford
(Cody Froggatt/PA)

Match action

The home side took an 11th-minute lead when January signing Ryan Graydon met Kevin Berkoe’s clipped cross with a looping header to open his account for the club.

The Irishman had a header from a corner blocked before Swindon attacker Michael Olakigbe lifted an effort over the bar as both sides exchanged chances in a breathless opening 20 minutes.

Darren Oldaker forced Salford goalkeeper Matthew Young into a smart save with a fierce drive from the edge of the box as Ian Holloway’s men went into half-time on the front foot.

After Swindon had a penalty appeal for handball waved away, Graydon finished off a lightning-fast counter-attack to double Salford’s lead on 52 minutes.

But Swindon hit back three minutes later when Ollie Palmer headed in from close range and drew level on the hour mark after Olakigbe’s teasing cross was flicked home by substitute James Ball.

This topsy-turvy game took another dramatic twist when Garbutt curled home a 68th-minute free-kick to put Salford back ahead.

Swindon defender Ryan Tafazolli had a late goal ruled out after Palmer fouled Matt Butcher as Salford saw off a late away onslaught to reach the fourth round for the first time in their history.

Reaction

Robinson said: “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.

“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.”

Swindon boss Holloway lamented his side’s poor fortune on a night when the tie could have gone their way.

He said: “It was another cracking game between two good teams, but it seems they’ve got a little bit of voodoo on us.

“I thought we started quite well before they went two up, but they were playing the conditions better than us and tried to play through the midfield too much.

“I then put two men up front and that worked so much better.

“We get back level again and then concede a very good free-kick – but was it a free-kick? And should we have had one?”

READ MORE: Swindon Town 2-3 Salford City: Robins hit by Ammies again