Brady reveals reason for change of shape at Salford

Jon Brady has explained why he moved away from his favoured 4-4-2 and instead played with a midfield three at Salford City on Saturday.

Brady had gone with two up top in most matches prior to the weekend but Danny Rose started as Town's sole striker at Moor Lane.

Jack Sowerby, Shaun McWilliams and Paul Lewis made up the midfield three while Dylan Connolly and Sam Hoskins were stationed on the flanks.

The switch in formation had the desired effect for the first 20 minutes as Lewis headed Cobblers in front, but Salford turned the tide after Matthew Lund levelled.

Brady then went back to 4-4-2 in the second-half, sending on Nicke Kabamba and Mitch Pinnock, and that did the trick with Pinnock restoring the away side's advantage.

"It was just the way we wanted to set up against the opposition today," said Brady afterwards.

"We felt we would be stronger and we could exploit them and it worked for the first 20 minutes because I thought we were really, really strong in how we started.

"We quietened them down and got the goal but for a few reasons, tactically, we allowed them back into the game.

"I felt we sat off them too much to be honest and that's why we had to go back to 4-4-2 in the second-half because we needed to stop the bombardment into (Tom) Elliott.

"Obviously that was their man plan, to hit diagonal balls into Elliott with the wingers coming off the line to land on the second balls.

"We knew that would be the case as soon as we saw Elliott was on the team sheet but we didn't get high enough like we did in the first 20 minutes."

Despite scoring twice on the road for the first time this season, Cobblers could not hold on as Ash Eastham equalised in stoppage-time.

Nonetheless it was a decent point away from home with two players scoring their first goals for the club.

"I'm really pleased for Paul because he's been itching to get that goal," Brady added. "It was great to get him a start again after his injury.

"He times his runs really well and he can finish, it's something he's good at, and it's excellent for him to get his first goal.

"Same with Mitch, and it was a really good finish. It was a great ball by Aaron, a good set by Sammy and there was real purpose by him to get in at the back stick and crash through and head it into the net.

"It's good to have scored two away from home for the first time this season."