Match Report

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.