Salford boss Neil Wood was livid as promotion-chasers Salford let things slip as they conceded two late goals at Crewe to lose for the first time in four games in a 4-3 defeat.
Substitute Steve Mallan’s 85th-minute strike edged the Ammies 3-2 ahead at Gresty Road, but in a goal-strewn affair the Railwaymen hit back with a backheel from Connor O’Riordan and a last-minute winner from Dan Agyei.
“All four of Crewe’s goals were all down to our poor play and our mistakes – they were shocking schoolboy goals to concede,” said Salford boss Wood.
“We didn’t do the right thing for the team which is why we came unstuck tonight. For some reason we wanted to show off to the crowd when players should have been putting the team first.
“We probably had most of the game on a difficult pitch to play on and we went 1-0 up, but then gave away a poor penalty. Then we wanted to play out from the back for their second and it was as horrific mistake and we were 2-1 down.
“Stevie came on and scored a great goal and at 3-2 up you expect them to manage the game and see the minutes out, but we were caught out again. We made the wrong decision from a corner and the lad backheels it in and for the fourth goal we get punished for taking too many touches.
“We’d have been in a great position by the end of tonight if we’d won, but we’ve got to keep going and get ready for Doncaster next week.”
On-loan Aston Villa teenager Louis Barry had fired Salford ahead, turning in Luke Bolton’s cross (19) only for Theo Vassell’s late tackle on Elliott Nevitt to leave Agyei with the chance to level from the spot (31).
Then after a misplaced pass, Joel Tabiner grabbed his first senior goal for Crewe when he spotted Cairns off his line to loft a fine finish in the 40th-minute.
And the goals kept coming with an agile finish from Callum Hendry levelling for the Ammies in stoppage-time (45).
Sub Mallan appeared to have won it for Salford when he cracked a low drive into the bottom corner after a pass from Bolton.
But Crewe were not finished and O’Riordan backheeled the ball home (87) before Cairns pushed out Nevitt’s blockbuster only into Agyei’s path and the former Oxford man squeezed the winner into the bottom corner (90) for his 12th goal of the campaign.
Crewe boss Lee Bell said: “I am delighted for the players to get a win against a very good team. The players are building in terms of robustness after things have gone against us in the last few weeks and they were brave tonight and deserved their win.
“We were disappointed to concede the first goal, but the lad (Bolton) was like an F1 driving down the wing. We got Rio Adebisi to adjust his angles afterwards and we were tighter.
“Joel’s goal was an unbelievable strike and he showed great technique. He is getting better and better and I thought Elliott Nevitt was a presence for us. His first goal for us will come, but he has works so hard, he has a football brain and he was excellent for us and Dan capped it all off. He’s getting better as the season goes on and we want him to get to 15 goals.”
