Competition: Northern Premier League West
0 vs 0 
Mossley
3 vs 0 
Clitheroe 4 vs 1 
Atherton Collieries
Sporting Khalsa vs Trafford FC
Trafford fell to their heaviest defeat of the season on Saturday with Khalsa’s Chay Tilt producing an outstanding performance that saw him notch four sensational goals.
After just seven minutes the hosts were controversially awarded a free kick on the edge of the Trafford penalty area and Tilt stepped forward to curl a magnificent shot over the defensive wall and into the top corner.
Four minutes later Trafford should have equalised when Taylor Dyson floated a free kick in from the right and Bile Ahmed rose to head against Khalsa keeper R’avan Constable from point blank range.
Constable then held a long range effort from Cian Donohue and at the other end a thunderous drive by Sam Fitzgerald was pushed behind by Sam Booth.
Trafford were just on top in terms of possession and in the 31st minute home keeper Constable saved once more to thwart Brad Byrne.
Four minutes later another attack down the right ended with Matt Davies being pushed from behind but the visitors’ vehement appeals for a penalty were ignored by referee David Constable.
The second half proved to be a disaster for Tom Baker’s side who, after a bright start, fell two goals behind in the 54th minute when a superb cross field pass by Kristian Green released Chay Tilt, the quicksilver winger audaciously lifting the ball over the advancing Sam Booth and into the empty goal.
In the 69th minute another glorious defence piercing pass, this time by Sam Fitzgerald, found Tilt and he advanced to drill the ball past Booth into the bottom corner to complete a brilliant hat-trick.
Just two minutes later Tilt made it four when he seized upon a careless pass by Jack Higginbottom and broke forward to smash the ball home from 15 yards.
To their credit Trafford pushed forward spiritedly with Bile Ahmed showing some impressive touches and in the 82nd minute Charlie Frost’s back post header was tipped over by Constable.
However, with just three minutes remaining they conceded once more when a free kick from the left ricocheted off the luckless Scott Sephton and nestled inside the bottom right hand corner.
Trafford now face three home games in the space of eight days, hosting Atherton Collieries on Saturday, Clitheroe on Tuesday and then Mossley a week on Saturday.
5 vs 0 Trafford FCWythenshawe Town vs Trafford FC
The sending off of Jack Sloan in the 50th minute following a rash and reckless challenge proved to be the turning point as Trafford fell to a 2-1 defeat at Wythenshawe Town on New Year’s Day.
The opening stages were scrappy and lacking in goalmouth incident as both teams struggled to settle on a difficult playing surface.
In the 15th minute, however, Trafford striker Matt Davies burst down the right and fired the ball across the face of the Town goal, debutant Bile Ahmed just failing to apply the finishing touch.
Home winger Ash Leather curled a free kick just wide on the half hour mark but it wasn’t until the 37th minute that a shot was actually on target, Trafford’s Henry Brown firing straight at Greg Hall from 20 yards.
The game burst into life in the 41st minute when Bile Ahmed sped down the left flank and crossed beyond the far post. Harry Leigh gained possession, returning a low cross to Ahmed who bundled the ball home from close range.
Trafford’s joy was short lived as they dozed off in time added on at the end of the first half, Demi Rhami turning the ball past Oliver Belliza from just eight yards after a cross from the left.
The second half was just five minutes old when Town played a long ball out of defence towards Ash Leather. Trafford wing back Jack Sloan carelessly and foolishly scythed down the speedy winger, referee Hussain immediately brandishing a red card and reducing the visitors to ten men.
Shortly afterwards a shot from 20 yards by Domaine Rouse was touched onto the post by Oliver Belliza and then in the 61st minute the hosts stormed ahead when Trafford failed to clear a cross from the left and Wealth DaSilva pounced on the loose ball to fire coolly and clinically into the bottom corner.
Trafford’s cause was hampered by injuries to Henry Brown and Scott Sephton with substitutes Brad Byrne and Isaac Noble taking their places but despite this setback the visitors battled gamely to the end.
Isaac Noble almost burst through in the 84th minute but was denied by a last ditch clearance by Nathan Whalley and Trafford won several free kicks on the fringes of the Town penalty area that came to nothing.
This defeat leaves Trafford rooted to the foot of the NPL West Division table but with seventeen games still remaining there is still a long way to go.
Tom Baker’s team are next in action on Saturday 10th January when they entertain Flixton at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium, kick off 3p.m. This is a friendly fixture in which all gate receipts will go towards the Trafford Veterans charity. Admission is £3 adults, £2 concessions with children going free.
2 vs 1 Trafford FCTrafford FC vs Avro
Trafford were once again forced to suffer the harsh realities of life at the wrong end of the NPL West Division table as several contentious decisions went against them in their 2-0 defeat against high flying Avro.
Manager Tom Baker gave a debut to young goalkeeper Oliver Bellizia, on loan from Fleetwood Town, due to an injury to Sam Booth, and the 18 year old produced a magnificent save in the 14th minute when he came out to bravely block from Sam Davidson as the Avro midfielder broke clear.
Referee Sims infuriated the home supporters shortly afterwards when he cautioned Matt Davies for an innocuous challenge on Kane Hickman but worse was to come in the 31st minute when a long through ball towards Avro striker Kyle Hawley ended with Bellizia pushing the ball to safety but being adjudged to have caught Hawley and conceding a penalty.
Bellizia flung himself to his right to parry the spot kick and then produced an incredible one handed save to thwart Hawley’s point blank effort as the striker pounced on the rebound.
Despite enjoying a good share of the possession, Trafford lacked a cutting edge with two long range shots by Kieron Molloy being their only attempts at goal.
Five minutes into the second half there was more controversy when Trafford midfielder Scott Sephton was clearly fouled on the half way line, but referee Sims allowed play to continue, Ryley Smith breaking clear and feeding Harry Salt who fired past the advancing Bellizia to make it 1-0.
In the 67th minute Trafford almost snatched an equaliser when Taylor Dyson struck a brilliant free kick from 20 yards that was heading for the top corner before Cameron Mason flung himself to his right and spectacularly tipped the ball past the post.
Substitutes Tom Lawless and Henry Brown injected some pace and urgency into the Trafford team and their appeals for a penalty following a handball in the 77th minute fell on deaf ears.
Ian Togo headed wide following a Matt Davies cross and then Henry Brown and Taylor Dyson both saw shots well saved by Mason.
Three minutes from time Avro struck again when Kyle Hawley defied the Trafford offside trap and broke clear down the middle, coolly placing his shot past Bellizia and inside the right hand post.
Despite this defeat, Trafford can take heart from a spirited performance in which they matched their opponents in most aspects of the game, but once again they can feel hard done to with a number of refereeing decisions that favoured Avro.
0 vs 2 
Avro
