REACTION | Salford 0-2 Port Vale

Salford City were edged out on the opening day after Ben Garrity goals in each half saw Port Vale leave The Peninsula Stadium with a 0-2 win.

The midfielder poked in the opening goal in first half stoppage time after a header from a corner was tipped away, before he made the first connection midway through the second half to head in his second.

Salford looked brighter after the break with the introductions of Dan Chesters and Ben Woodburn providing more tempo, but there was nothing too testing for ex-Salford loanee Connor Ripley in the Vale net.

Despite the result Alex Bruce - speaking after the game having taken it in place of Karl Robinson, who is serving the last two games of a touchline ban - says there were some good moments and reassured fans there is more to come.

“I think when you lose the first game of the season I speak on behalf of everyone that we’re disappointed.

"But there was a lot of positives to take from it, the amount of young players we had in the team today. I think Tosin had a really good game, Liam Humbles in midfield not had much game time, Kelly Nmai, Junior Luamba, the list goes on of players that the club’s brought through the system into the first team.

“In open play I don’t think there was too much between the two sides, I can’t think of either keeper making too many saves… The story of the game was that they were clinical from two set pieces which is disappointing from our side and something we need to look at, we need to get better at in terms of organisation, and if we can do that we can take the positives and move on.”

Attentions turn to the Carabao Cup on Tuesday when Doncaster Rovers make the journey over from South Yorkshire.