TRAFFORD 6 SOUTH LIVERPOOL 1

Trafford got back to winning ways in style on Saturday with a resounding 6-1 victory over South Liverpool in front of a bumper crowd of 415 at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium.

Despite a run of five games without a win, Tom Baker’s side got off to a flying start, taking the lead in the 8th minute when Fin Stanyer made a storming run through midfield and fed Dillon Edmondson who fired past the advancing Alfie Smith.

Four minutes later Edmondson struck again with Stanyer once again the provider, breaking from defence, threading the ball through, and allowing the big striker to crack the ball inside the right hand post from the edge of the penalty area.

 Josh Hughes struck the foot of the post in a rare attack by the Merseysiders but Trafford remained on top with Edmondson volleying wide, Stanyer blasting a shot that was fumbled behind by Smith and then Ryan Brooke drilling a shot inches wide of the upright.

In the 35th minute the visitors burst into life and carved open the Trafford defence with an excellent move rounded off by James Flight’s clinical shot into the bottom corner.

The first half ended with Kyle Worsley and Brad Byrne both going close as the hosts sought a third goal.

Ryan Brooke headed a Dave Worrall free kick straight at Alfie Smith as Trafford dominated the opening minutes of the second period but then a degree of anxiety and frustration appeared to set in and keeper Matty Cooper was forced to tip a Neil Weaver drive over the bar.

In the 68th minute Dillon Edmondson settled the home fans nerves when he completed a magnificent hat-trick, collecting the ball on the right, stepping inside a Liverpool defender and slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Substitute Brad Njine then made it four when he crashed a low shot inside the far post but the goal of the game, and possibly the season, arrived in the 81st minute when the ball fell to Dave Worrall just inside the Liverpool half and, spotting goalkeeper Smith off his line, he struck a stunning first time effort into the empty goal.

The scoring was completed five minutes from time when an incisive move down the right ended with a low cross that substitute Mackena Bradshaw swept past Smith and into the bottom corner.

Manager Tom Baker was obviously delighted with the result and will be hoping to build on it this coming Saturday when Trafford travel to play Longridge Town.

TRAFFORD 1 BURSCOUGH 2

Trafford’s five game winning streak in the NWCFL Premier Division came to an end on Tuesday night when they were beaten 2-1 by an impressive Burscough outfit.

Tom Baker’s side edged the opening minutes with Ryan Brooke’s back post header saved at the foot of the post by Ben Barnes and Bile Ahmed’s low drive just going wide of the right hand upright.

However, it was the visitors who squandered the best chances in the first quarter when a rare slip by Trafford skipper Harry Norris allowed Dilon O’Callaghan and Callum Laird to fire close range efforts that Connor Beard saved brilliantly.

Baker’s Boys were giving the ball away far too cheaply but still created the better chances, Barnes tipping over a rasping drive by Ryan Brooke and Kyle Worsley wasting the best chance of all when he was released by Ahmed but shot wide of the near post from 15 yards.

In the 40th minute the home fans were stunned when Burscough forged ahead, a long ball over the top finding Will Dunne who neatly chipped the ball over Beard and into the empty goal.

The second half was similar to the first with Trafford once again failing to play with their usual rhythm but still able to create goal scoring opportunities.

A Dave Worrall free kick was glanced over by Brooke and Billy Ahmed somehow failed to convert at the far post after Fin Stanyer had headed across goal.

And in the 69th minute they conceded another poor goal, Jacob May stumbling on the ball and losing possession, allowing Callum Laird to break clear and crack his shot past Beard and inside the far post.

Substitute Brad Njine stabbed the ball wide after Dillon Edmondson’s low cross and then headed past the right hand upright after a delightful pass by Worrall.

Jacob May headed wide as Trafford piled on the pressure and they were finally rewarded for their efforts in the 90th minute when Hamed Sidibe rounded off an electrifying run down the left flank with a sumptuous low drive into the bottom corner.

A thunderous shot by Brooke was pushed past the post by Barnes as Trafford desperately sought the equaliser but the game came to a close with Brad Njine once more heading wastefully wide.

This defeat means that Trafford slip down to fourth in the Premier Division table and they will be desperate to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they entertain Atherton Collieries in the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, kick off 3 p.m.

TRAFFORD 2 GLOSSOP NORTH END 0

Trafford got back to winning ways on Tuesday night when they produced a scintillating performance to defeat Glossop North End 2-0 at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium.

Despite missing the services of the injured quartet of Dave Worrall, Luke Sephton, Connor Grogan and Ryan Brooke, Tom Baker’s side were on top from the outset and should have taken the lead in the 15th minute when skipper Harry Norris headed a corner from the left against the upright.

Kyle Worsley and Dillon Edmondson also went close before Glossop keeper Oliver Martin produced a magnificent save to push a Bile Ahmed thunderbolt past the post.

It was all Trafford but still they could not find the breakthrough and just before half-time Mackena Bradshaw struck a low drive wide and then fired against the right hand post following great work by Lewis Jacklin.

The onslaught continued into the second half, Bradshaw volleying over from 15 yards and Dillon Edmondson somehow failing to connect with an Ahmed cross.

Finally, in the 58th minute, Trafford were rewarded for their superiority and what a memorable goal it was, Kyle Worsley cutting in from the left and cracking a stunning curling drive from 35 yards over Martin and into the top corner.

Three minutes later Worsley should have made it two but shot wide from 15 yards and shortly afterwards Edmondson failed again to connect with a tantalising cross by Brad Byrne.

Mackena Bradshaw missed another great chance when he poked the ball straight at Martin from close range but the Trafford fans were given a scare in the 88th minute when a deep free kick from the right was glanced wide by Glossop centre back Jordan Schofield.

However, two minutes into ‘time added on’, the score was given a more realistic look when Lewis Jacklin broke down the right flank and swung over a glorious cross to the back post where substitute Brad Njine arrived to nudge the ball home and make it 2-0.

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A moment of magic by Dave Worrall in the 89th minute earned Trafford the three points, extending their winning streak to six games and moving them up to fifth in the NWCFL Premier Division.

The game was played at a furious pace throughout with no quarter given and both sides totally committed.

As a result there was a lack of creativity although Scott Sephton and Fin Stanyer both saw shots blocked in the opening stages.

Trafford were just on top and took a deserved lead in the 20th minute when Dillon Edmundson was upended on the edge of the Nelson penalty area. Brad Byrne stepped forward to take the resultant free kick and curled an exquisite shot past Chris Thompson and into the top corner.

Hamed Sidibe was seeing plenty of the ball out on the left for the hosts but was rather wasteful with his delivery and in the 28th minute Jacob May headed a free kick just wide as Trafford sought a second goal.

In the 35th minute the home crowd were stunned when Nelson levelled, Sean Ince cracking a magnificent free kick from 30 yards out on the left, over the defensive wall and inside the far post.

Nelson keeper Thompson then produced a superb save to deny Bile Ahmed just before half-time and the teams went in at the interval with the score locked at 1-1.

Trafford manager Tom Baker introduced substitute Dave Worrall for the second half and he made an immediate impact with his composure on the ball and passing ability.

Nevertheless, it was Nelson who should have taken the lead on the hour mark when Max Cane seized upon a weak back header by Jacob May, rounded keeper Beard but then sliced his shot hopelessly wide from just ten yards.

That miss appeared to galvanise the home side and they pushed forward in search of the winner.

Scott Sephton headed just wide, Dave Worrall’s appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears and then substitute Brad Njine saw his shot from just two yards blocked on the line by the under fire Nelson defence.

Then, with time running out and the vociferous home supporters roaring their team forward, Worrall struck.

A long ball was headed clear by Nelson defender Darren Holden under pressure from Ryan Brooke. The mercurial Worrall glanced up to see goalkeeper Thompson off his line and struck a sensational first time volley from fully 40 yards over the stranded keeper and into the top corner.

The home supporters went wild and with the Trafford defence, superbly marshalled once more by skipper Harry Norris, holding out for the additional nine minutes of ‘injury time’ the final whistle signalled yet another outstanding performance and result for Baker’s Boys.

TRAFFORD 1 ISLE OF MAN 0

Trafford extended their winning streak to five games with a hard fought victory over FC Isle of Man at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium on Saturday.

Manager Tom Baker was forced to make a late change to the side that had performed so admirably in beating Runcorn Linnets the previous week, midfielder Luke Sephton withdrawing from the line-up following an injury in the warm up. Sephton was replaced by Brad Byrne.

The hosts started brightly with Callum Grogan bursting forward in the 2nd minute but seeing his thunderous drive from 20 yards fly inches over the crossbar.

Both defences were on top for much of the first half but the deadlock was broken in the 22nd minute when Bile Ahmed floated a superb cross from the left to the back post where Ryan Brooke arrived to volley expertly past Adam Killey.

The crowd of just under 400 then had to wait until the 47th minute for the next meaningful attempt at goal, Brooke turning neatly just outside the Ravens penalty area but firing over.

A Scott Sephton shot from 20 yards in the 56th minute was deflected wide and from the resultant corner by Dave Worrall, Ryan Brooke headed just wide.

Trafford keeper Connor Beard was virtually redundant until the hour mark when he comfortably held a free kick by Tom Brown but it was Trafford who always posed the more potent goal threat, Bile Ahmed cracking a low drive that was tipped behind by Killey.

Lewis Jacklin’s close range effort was blocked by a Ravens defender and five minutes from time Bile Ahmed wriggled through four challenges but poked the ball just wide from 10 yards.

Substitute Jacob May volleyed well over as the Islanders half cleared a left wing corner and seconds later the final whistle arrived to signal another magnificent victory for Tom Baker’s side and move them up to sixth in the North West Counties League Premier Division table, three points behind leaders Nelson but with a game in hand.

Intriguingly, Trafford entertain Nelson on Tuesday night at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium, kick off 7-45 p.m.