Gary Neville and David Beckham watched on in despair as Salford City lost the League Two play-off final 3-0 to Notts County at Wembley. The Class of 92-owned club missed their best chance to reach League One, falling short despite finishing just one point behind the automatic promotion places.
Notts County took control in the first half, with Alassana Jatta opening the scoring after 31 minutes. Lucas Ness doubled the lead just before half-time, and Jodi Jones sealed the win with a third goal in the 70th minute. Salford turned to Italian striker Fabio Borini, who had previously won promotion at Wembley with Swansea, but he could not inspire a comeback.
Neville, who recently increased his stake in the club alongside Beckham, was visibly dejected in the stands alongside Lioness Jill Scott. Fellow former Manchester United stars Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt were also present. Beckham, dressed smartly in the stands, watched as the temperature on the pitch hit nearly 37 degrees Celsius.
Manager Karl Robinson, who has Football League promotions on his CV, could not deliver the result Salford needed. Neville admitted he did not speak to the players or Robinson before the match, saying he did not want to break his usual routine. 'I haven't spoken to any of the players,' he said. 'I don't before any game so it would be wrong of me to do so today.'
The defeat means Salford will spend an eighth consecutive season in League Two. The club, which rose through the non-league ranks after the Class of 92 took over, will now have to regroup and try again next year.
