Competition: Northern Premier League West
Vauxhall Motors vs Trafford FC
Trafford fell to yet another single goal defeat, their 13th of the season, but with ten games still remaining manager Tom Baker has vowed that they will fight until the end.
Baker’s side were uncharacteristically sloppy and shaky from the start and after just four minutes Motors’ star man Jawad Jebrin broke down the left and struck a shot that scraped against the crossbar.
Veteran striker Kevin Ellison headed straight at Trafford’s young keeper Harvey Bardsley following a cross from the left but the best chance in the opening stages fell to visiting striker Charlie Frost when his header from just six yards was brilliantly saved by Calvin Hare.
Kyle Sambor completely miskicked when presented with a good chance in the 27th minute but just two minutes later the hosts took the lead when the mercurial Jebrin tormented the Trafford defence once more and crossed for Ellison to strike a sweet left footed volley first time into the bottom corner.
Trafford introduced substitutes James Butterworth and Izac Khan to the action at half-time at the expense of Ollie Southern and Charlie Frost and these two brought more energy and pace to their side.
Nevertheless it was Motors who created the better chances with Kyle Sambor flighting a cross from the left onto the top of the crossbar and then being denied by a superb last ditch tackle by Harry Norris.
Norris then headed a great cross by Kyle Worsley just wide and with fifteen minutes remaining manager Baker brought on substitutes Mackena Bradshaw, Jack Higginbottom and George Unsworth in an attempt to salvage something from the game.
Trafford committed players forward in search of the equaliser and as a result left themselves wide open at the back.
And in time added on, goalkeeper Bardsley produced three magnificent saves to thwart Kevin Ellison, Kyle Sambor and Nathan Sandison as they all found themselves one-on-one with the young custodian.
This result means that Vauxhall Motors remain fifth in the NPL West Division whilst Trafford are five points adrift at the foot of the table.
1 vs 0 
Trafford FC
Nantwich Town vs Trafford FC
Mackena Bradshaw came off the bench to snatch an 89th minute equaliser as Trafford showed tremendous character in their battle against relegation.
Tom Baker’s team made the perfect start when, after just two minutes, Cian Donohue swung a corner over from the right and Charlie Frost headed past Ben Garratt from eight yards.
The hosts had the distinct advantage of playing on their artificial surface and fortune was on their side in the 20th minute when a left wing corner was flashed towards the near post, glancing off the head of Trafford centre back Ollie Southern and flying into the opposite top corner.
Trafford’s debutant goalkeeper Harvey Bardsley made a fine reflex save in the 31st minute to thwart Town’s leading goal-scorer Alex Panter and a 30 yard drive by Matt Davies was held by home keeper Garratt.
Panter just failed to connect with a low cross to the back post but disaster struck for the visitors on the stroke of half-time when Ollie Southern was harshly adjudged to have caught Paddy Jarrett when making a clearance, and Byron Harrison struck the resultant penalty past the valiant Bardsley.
Manager Baker introduced substitute Bile Ahmed at half-time in place of Cian Donohue and Ahmed was desperately unlucky in the 53rd minute when his wonderful effort from an acute angle out on the right rebounded back into play off the foot of the near post.
Mackena Bradshaw entered the fray in the 70th minute in place of Danar De Oliveira and this move appeared to inject greater momentum into Trafford’s play.
Recent signing Kyle Worsley twice flashed brilliant crosses across the face of the Town goal that should have been capitalised upon, whilst at the other end Harvey Bardsley peformed heroics when he deflected a shot by Jordan Hodkin onto the crossbar.
A long throw in by Bradshaw was headed straight at Garratt by Prosper Imar as Trafford pushed forward in search of the equaliser and they were rewarded for their enterprise in the 89th minute when Garratt parried Matt Davies’ low drive from 25 yards and Bradshaw pounced to lift the rebound into the empty goal.
The action was still not over as, in the first minute of injury time, Bile Ahmed was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Connolly having earlier received a caution for an innocuous challenge just outside the Trafford penalty area.
Despite this setback, the ten men held firm to earn a thoroughly deserved point although they are still five points adrift at the foot of the table.
2 vs 2 Trafford FCBury FC vs Trafford FC
Trafford crashed to the heaviest defeat in their 36 year history on Saturday when title favourites Bury capitalised on their one-man advantage to devastating effect.
The hosts started brightly and after just two minutes a well-worked corner from the right ended with Mo Touray cracking a low drive that was deflected inches wide.
The game was ruined as a spectacle in the 9th minute when a long kick downfield by Bury keeper Mitchell Allen was chased by Kai Evans and Trafford defenders Harry Norris and Johnson Opawole.
Evans went to ground and incredibly, referee Danielle Whitworth adjudged Opawole to have fouled him, brandishing a red card and awarding the Shakers a free kick on the edge of the Trafford penalty area. Bailey Sloane stepped forward and curled a hard low shot inside the far post to make it 1-0 and leave the ten-man visitors with an impossible uphill battle.
Six minutes later it was two when Trafford winger Billy Ahmed lost possession on the half-way line and the ball was played forward for Kai Evans to slot past Sam Booth.
Shortly afterwards the visitors thought they had reduced the arrears when Matt Davies chested the ball goal-wards and although many thought it had crossed the line, the assistant referee ruled otherwise.
Bailey Sloane then made it three with a back post header off the underside of the crossbar and in the 29th minute referee Whitworth awarded a debatable penalty to Bury that Leo Graham clipped into the top left hand corner.
Sloane completed a superb hat-trick with another back post header and on the stroke of half-time Owen Robinson nodded past Booth to give an interval score of 6-0.
A foul on Ollie Southern three minutes into the second half went unpunished as Mo Touray found himself in acres of space to fire past Booth and Touray struck again in the 55thminute when he tapped the ball home after Booth had failed to hold a pile-driver by Kai Evans.
Despite the horrendous score-line, Trafford kept going and Charlie Frost twice squandered good chances, in particular a first time effort from just eight yards that Bury keeper Mitchell Allen brilliantly pushed behind.
The scoring was completed in the 76th minute when BebetoGomes brilliantly skipped past two Trafford defenders and pulled the ball back to Kai Evans who blasted it into the roof of the net from ten yards.
Bury thoroughly deserved the three points and produced a brand of football that shows why they are red-hot favourites to win the NPL West Division title. However, Trafford can feel mightily aggrieved at the standard of officiating in what was a crucial game in their battle against relegation.
On Saturday, Trafford entertain another club with ambitions of promotion in Lower Breck. Due to an issue with the floodlighting at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium, kick off is 2 p.m.
9 vs 0 Trafford FC
