Trafford were defeated 2-1 by National League North side Radcliffe FC on Tuesday night but emerged from a close game with great credit.

As it turned out, the difference between the two sides was former Trafford striker Rio Clegg who scored two late, opportunistic goals, after it appeared for long spells that Karl Marginson’s team would cause a major upset.

The hosts moved the ball around confidently from the start against a side two steps higher up the non-league pyramid and in the 12th minute Ryley Smith’s long range effort took a slight deflection but was held by Mateusz Hewlet.

Josh Wood was a constant threat to the Radcliffe defence and was unfortunate when his low menacing pass across the face of the visitor’s goal evaded everyone.

Regan Riley fizzed a shot just past the far post and a half of little goalmouth action, but plenty of endeavour, ended with Rio Clegg shooting just wide from 25 yards.

Manager Marginson made eight changes to his line-up at half-time and his revamped side produced some scintillating football taking the lead in the 54th minute when Radcliffe failed to clear a Hilal Khan free kick and Mackenna Bradshaw rose to power home a header at the back post.

Trafford continued to play some superbly composed football and in the 63rd minute Kevin Spinelli cut in from the right but curled his shot just over.

With twenty minutes remaining Rio Clegg took centre stage to torment his former team-mates and turn the course of the game.

Sam Booth thwarted Clegg with a brilliant save at point blank range but just two minutes later was powerless to prevent the equaliser, Clegg brilliantly clipping the ball over Jack Higginbottom before poking the ball inside the near post.

Booth made another brilliant save to deny Jon Taylor but in the 81st minute Radcliffe left winger Isaac Modi outpaced Bradshaw and crossed hard and low to the back post where Clegg arrived to rifle the ball into the roof of the net.

Trafford were unable to force an equaliser but can take great heart from an excellent performance that should fill them with confidence ahead of Saturday FA Cup Extra Preliminary Tie against Barnoldswick Town at the Away Day Care Shawe View Stadium.

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The long awaited M41 Derby ended with Trafford victorious in front of a bumper crowd of just under 700.
The hosts dominated possession in the opening stages but Flixton always looked dangerous on the break with Wahad Damphat making some great runs down the right.

Trafford striker Kevin Spinelli blasted over from 15 yards in the 14th minute but the best chance fell to the visitors Will Jones who lifted the ball into Ollie Culkin’s hands with only the keeper to beat.
However, just sixty seconds later Yasser Salim opened the scoring when he outpaced the Trafford defence on the left and fired past the advancing Culkin.

Five minutes later Trafford were level when Spinelli fed Josh Woods who brilliantly skipped past Ellis Allen and ran the ball into the empty goal.

Karl Marginson’s team were now on top and forged ahead in the 36th minute when Cian Donohue was fouled on the edge of the Flixton penalty area and Hilal Khan stepped forward to curl the free kick into the bottom corner.

On the stroke of half-time Trafford carelessly gifted Flixton the equaliser when Jack Higginbottom and Ollie Culkin got into a mix up and Abdul Salim had the simplest of tap-ins.

Manager Marginson made seven changes to the Trafford line-up at the start of the second half and for long periods there was little or no goalmouth action.

The hosts gradually got on top though and on the hour a Matty Lusakueno pile-driver was superbly blocked by Allen.

Campbell Reid and Henry Brown both shot over as Flixton visibly tired and in the 75th minute Lusakueno made amends for his earlier miss when he stepped inside a Flixton defender and curled a stunning 20 yard drive into the top corner to make it 3-2.

Henry Brown waltzed past a visiting defender but fired over once more before the scoring was completed in the 82nd minute when Harrison Bickerton rounded off another incisive move with a low drive into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

A hard fought and thoroughly entertaining game came to a close with both teams emerging with great credit and re-igniting their intense but friendly rivalry in front of a large and appreciative crowd of 679.