Town’s veteran manager Neil Baker came out on top in Saturday’s ‘Battle of the Baker’s’, a 91st minute goal by Harry Bower giving his side a 1-0 victory over namesake Tom’s Trafford.

The visitors edged the opening minutes with Tim Grice heading just wide and Oliver Ritchie flighting a free kick inches over.

Trafford gradually began to assume control with a long range shot by Bile Ahmed being comfortably held by Lucas Knight before Ahmed brilliantly skipped past Town defender Roman Allen but fired wastefully over.

In the 27th minute Trafford should have taken the lead when Matt Davies fed Ahmed who delayed his shot from just eight yards allowing a Town defender to block.

Kyle Worsley then volleyed into the side-netting as Tom Baker’s side continued to dominate possession and an intriguing first half came to a close with Grice firing over from 10 yards following a quick break down the left by the visitors.

In the 55th minute Trafford squandered another great chance to take the lead when Kyle Worlsey whipped a wonderful cross over from the right but young striker James Butterworth completely miskicked from just six yards.

Newcastle were looking more and more dangerous on the break and after Lewis Brown headed a corner just wide, Trafford left back Harry Evers produced two brilliant last-ditch tackles to deny dangerman Harry Bower.

Trafford keeper Charlie Brier saved superbly to thwart Tim Grice and Will Arnold and in the 83rd minute another piercing cross by Kyle Worsley was headed agonisingly wide by James Butterworth.

Then, in the 89th minute, midfielder Brad Byrne should have put his team ahead when he collected the ball just ten yards out, stepped inside Lewis Brown but sliced his shot wide with just Lucas Knight to beat.

In the 91st minute disaster struck for Trafford when skipper Harry Norris bravely blocked a drive by Josh Bowden but saw the ball fall invitingly into the path of Harry Bowden who coolly placed his shot inside the far post from 15 yards.

The final whistle signalled yet another game that Trafford should have earned at least a point, but once again were made to pay for missed chances, and they will be desperate to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they host Bootle at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium, kick off 3 p.m.

Trafford’s hopes of avoiding relegation were dealt a severe blow on Saturday when, despite dominating their illustrious opponents for long spells, they fell to devastating 2-1 defeat.

Isaac Modi and Kyle Worsley went close to giving Tom Baker’s side the lead in the opening minutes but Runcorn showed their pedigree with a fine move in the 13th minute, Markell Foulds breaking down the right and pulling the ball across to Noah Roberts who rifled his shot into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Trafford skipper Harry Norris saw his header deflected wide following a Worsley free kick but then was fortuitous when his wayward pass across his own penalty area was intercepted by Noah Roberts who thankfully fired wide with just Charlie Brier to beat.

In the 32nd minute Trafford fought their way back on to level terms, Isaac Modi whipping a great cross in from the left that Bile Ahmed neatly glanced past Yusuf Mersin from close range.

Modi then skipped past two defenders and flashed a superb low cross across the face of the Linnets goal but no one was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Trafford were absolutely magnificent in the second half with Kyle Worsley at the centre of many of their moves and in the 52nd minute his goal bound shot was brilliantly blocked by Linnets defender Peter Wylie.

Worsley then cut in from the right but curled his shot over and then wasted a good opportunity when he delayed his shot from a good position and was forced wide by the well organised visitors defence.

In the 57th minute Bile Ahmed missed a gilt edged chance to put the hosts ahead when he shot wastefully into the side-netting from just ten yards after great work by Mackena Bradshaw.

Ahmed then ghosted past Linnets right back Joe Ferguson but crossed weakly into the hands of Mersin and the onslaught continued with Kyle Worsley brilliantly dancing past two opponents but seeing his goal bound shot cleared off the line by Jacques Welsh.

Mackena Bradshaw struck the foot of the post after cutting in down the left and both Charlie Frost and Bile Ahmed saw further chances beaten out by the hard pressed Linnets defence.

Then, with just three minutes remaining of the ninety, Harry Norris was adjudged to have fouled substitute Brendan O’Brien and the visitors were awarded a free kick 25 yards out and to the left of centre. Harry McGee stepped forward and curled an exquisite shot over the defensive wall and into the top corner past the despairing dive of Charlie Brier to send the large contingent of travelling supporters into raptures.

Harry Norris headed wide as Trafford desperately sought an equaliser and Baker’s Boys suffered more heartbreak when Jack Sloan was controversially shown two yellow cards, in the space of seconds, just before the final whistle.

Despite this defeat, Trafford emerged from the game with great credit, having been the better side for most of the game, but unfortunately they were unable to turn their superiority into goals due to their profligacy in the Linnets penalty area. 

Trafford made it two wins in four days with a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Stafford Rangers at the Away Day Care ShaweView Stadium on Saturday.

Manager Tom Baker fielded the same starting eleven that had performed so heroically in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Lower Breck and they made a bright and confident start on a beautiful sunny afternoon.

Despite monopolising possession, the hosts had to wait until the 19th minute for their first attempt on goal, Charlie Frost heading an Izac Khan cross goal wards that Rangers keeper Scott Moloney held at the second attempt.

The game was a contrast in styles with Trafford attempting to play neat possession football whilst their opponents relied on long balls out of defence and the massive long throws of centre back Jimmy O’Neill.

Baker’s Boys were desperately unlucky not to take the lead in the 34th minute when Kyle Worsley struck a thunderous drive from 25 yards that cannoned back into play off the crossbar with Moloney saving brilliantly as James Butterworth tried to force home the rebound.

And from the resultant corner, Rangers were fortunate once more when Ollie Southern saw his header clip the crossbar and fly over.

The visitors were a little more adventurous in the second half and in the 53rd minute Dylan Scott fired a first time shot wide from just eight yards before home keeper Harvey Bardsleypushed a Marsel Tola volley from 25 yards past his left hand upright.

Moloney tipped a 20 yard dive by Charlie Frost over the crossbar and then a goal bound header by skipper Harry Norris was cleared off the line by Rangers defender Luke Edwards.

Kyle Worsley looked a constant threat on the right flank for the hosts and in the 79th minute the deadlock was finally broken when his corner from the right was headed in at the back post by Norris.

Four minutes later the home fans were stunned when Rangers forced the equaliser, slack marking at another corner resulting in Matthew Hearsey heading past Bardsley from just seven yards.

Things could have been even worse for Trafford when, in the 85th minute, John Atherton was clean through but, with only Bardsley to beat, he fired hopelessly wide of the right hand post.

Trafford substitute Bile Ahmed made several piercing runs down the left wing as the hosts pushed forward in search of the winner and they were rewarded for their enterprise in the 89th minute when Ahmed coolly fed Charlie Frost who crashed the ball home from just six yards.

Referee Matthew Friend signalled five minutes of time-added-on but Baker’s Boys held on comfortably to their lead, led by a towering performance by skipper Norris, and this win moved his team into third from bottom place in the NPL West Division still five points from safety.

However, Trafford now face three tremendously difficult games, visiting in-form Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday, before entertaining Runcorn Linnets on Good Friday and travelling to Avro on Easter Monday.

Trafford turned the form book upside down with a remarkable 4-0 victory over fourth placed Lower Breck, a result that moves them off the foot of the NPL West Division table for the first time since August.

Manager Tom Baker gave debuts to teenagers James Butterworth and Izac Khan and the youthful and energetic Trafford side set the early pace, taking the lead in the 10th minute when Mackena Bradshaw fed Kyle Worsley who stepped inside his marker and struck a great low drive into the far corner.

A Worsley cross from the right just evaded Charlie Frost and then Trafford skipper Harry Norris headed a free kick wide before another teenager, goalkeeper Harvey Bardsley, came to his team’s rescue with a superb double save from Breckdanger man Sam Burns.

Nathan Corness skipped past home left back Jack Sloan but shot hopelessly wide and an exciting and eventful half came to a close with James Butterworth flashing a drive from 25 yards just wide.

The visitors were well on top in the opening minutes of the second period and when Corness broke clear on the right in the 50th minute Bardsley produced the goods once more with another brilliant reflex save.

In the 54th minute, and with virtually their first attack of the second half, Trafford struck again when James Butterworth was pulled down by Jordan Barrow and Charlie Frost coolly stepped forward to plant his penalty past Patrick Wharton and into the bottom corner.

And the Trafford fans were in dreamland five minutes later when Butterworth outpaced the Breck defence on the left and coolly slotted the ball past the advancing Wharton to make it 3-0.

Charlie Frost then squandered two golden opportunities to make it four when he broke clear of the visitor’s defence but on each occasion saw his shot deflected wide for a corner.

Breck showed great fighting qualities with Danny McKenna striking the foot of the post from a right wing corner, Harvey Bardsley twice producing fine saves to thwart the mercurial Burns and Dilon O’Callaghan nudging a cross against the right hand upright.

But it was to be Trafford’s day and, despite some rather sloppy play in the closing stages, Kyle Worsley capped a fine individual performance to complete the scoring in the 85th minute, rounding off a slick five man move with a tremendous low drive inside the far post.

This wonderful victory means that Baker’s Boys move off the foot of the table at the expense of Wythenshawe Town but they must now refocus their efforts on this Saturday’s fixture in which they entertain Stafford Rangers at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium, kick off 3 p.m. 

Trafford produced a magnificent second half performance to stun Staffordshire based Kidsgrove, Charlie Frost leading the way with a sensational four goal haul.

Tom Baker’s side got off to the worst possible start when, after just 90 seconds, Nat Morley found himself in acres of space and lashed a half-volley past Sam Booth and into the far corner.

Trafford’s response was immediate and they levelled in the 4thminute, Charlie Frost breaking clear in the inside right channel and firing past the advancing Ryan Brown.

Both teams committed players forward in search of further goals with Grove looking particularly dangerous from a number of corners, Jack Howse heading down and over the crossbar when completely unmarked, and Sam Booth saving a Josh Thorpe header at the near post.

Thorpe then appeared to upend Levi Welsh but Trafford’s penalty appeals were ignored and on the stroke of half-time Sam Booth produced a fine save to deny Georgie Jenkins and keep the scores level.

Manager Baker roasted his side during the half-time interval for their disappointing first half performance and they came out for the second half in a completely different frame of mind.

Dana Amaral shot weakly at Brown from 25 yards and in the 53rd minute the hosts stormed ahead when Matt Davies and Brad Byrne combined to release Charlie Frost who strode forward to fire inside the near post.

Trafford were now well on top and Grove keeper Brown produced two spectacular saves to thwart a Kyle Worlsey free kick from 25 yards and a close range header from Bile Ahmed.

On the hour mark another incisive attack by the hosts ended with Levi Welsh being pulled down from behind and Charlie Frost stepped forward to drive the resultant penalty into the bottom corner to complete a superb hat-trick.

Matt Davies wasted a great opportunity when he cut in from the right but the scoring was completed in the 84th minute when Frost broke clear of the Grove defence once more and slipped the ball past the hapless Brown.

Trafford defender Scott Sephton rather foolishly pulled a Grove forward back in the 89th minute, earning himself a second yellow card and a subsequent red, but the final whistle arrived to signal an absolutely crucial victory for Tom Baker’s side, a result that moves them to within two points of next-to-bottom Wythenshawe Town.