Fabio Borini style secures back-to-back wins
fabio borini scored the winning goal on his 400th senior appearance as Salford City beat Walsall 1-0 at the Peninsula Stadium. The substitute struck in the 74th minute after neat passing from Prince Ehibhatiomhan and Ryan Graydon opened space, securing a second successive League Two win that strengthened Salford’s grip on a play-off place. The match was a scrappy affair with few clear chances until the decisive intervention from the bench.
Fabio Borini 400th: late strike wins tight contest
Salford forward Fabio Borini came off the bench and fired a low shot into the bottom corner in the 74th minute to break a goalless stalemate and deliver the three points. Ryan Graydon had threatened earlier, striking the crossbar with a dipping volley around the 40th minute, and Daniel Kanu forced goalkeeper Matthew Young into a smart reaction save as both sides exchanged limited chances in a drab first half.
After Karl Robinson turned to his bench, substitute Prince Ehibhatiomhan combined with Graydon to create the opening that allowed borini to finish. Walsall pressed late, with Jamille Matt unable to turn Mason Hancock’s low cross home nine minutes from time, but Salford held on to secure victory and consolidate momentum in the table.
Immediate reactions from the camp
Karl Robinson, Salford City manager, made tactical changes that delivered the decisive moment from the bench and framed the result as a timely response to recent blips. Robinson said: “We’re still soldiering on, we don’t come out moaning. ”
Matt Butcher, Salford midfielder, framed the win in the context of promotion ambitions: “The teams that go up respond to poor moments better than the rest. ” Those remarks underline dressing-room focus after a run that saw mixed results before the back-to-back victories.
Quick context and what’s next
Salford City sit in the play-off places and the victory strengthened their position in League Two; they moved to a second successive league win and built on a recent 2-0 victory against Barnet. Historically, Salford have struggled in recent head-to-heads with Walsall, having lost four of their last five league meetings with that opponent, the other fixture ending in a 2-2 draw in February 2025.
The fixture had been scheduled at the Peninsula Stadium on 10 March with a 7: 45 pm ET kick-off, and Salford will now look to build on the momentum created by borini’s milestone goal as they push to consolidate their play-off credentials. Expect Karl Robinson to weigh squad fitness and form ahead of the next fixtures as Salford aim to sustain this run and keep pressure on rivals for the play-off places.
