Season: 2025-2026
2025-2026
TFC ReservesWythenshawe 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 
AvroDarlaston Town vs Trafford FC
TRAFFORD FC slid to a 0-1 defeat in a game they really could and should have won. The trip to the West Midlands saw Tom Baker’s team take on Darlaston Town – the hosts being two points ahead of Trafford in the bottom two of the NPL West Division. A victory would have given Trafford the boost of lifting themselves off the bottom at Christmas.
Trafford started brightly, with Kieron Molloy in particular causing Darlaston problems with his pace and trickery on the left. Molloy had Trafford’s first real chance after just 6 minutes, shooting wide from the edge of the box. Moments later he combined with Jack Sloan to give Brad Byrne a chance which produced a fine save from Darlaston ‘keeper Stan Amos. The resultant corner saw Trafford captain Harry Norris head wide.
After this bright opening, the game became bogged down with the muddy conditions and a home side prepared to stick a foot or head in for every loose ball. This did little for the quality of football on display. Goalless at the break, disaster struck just two minutes in to the second half when a Darlaston corner dropped in the 6-yard area. Trafford’s defenders failed to react quick enough, and Calum Knowles poked it home. The scrappy nature of the game continued, and it was difficult to get any momentum going.
Trafford had opportunities – Molloy continued to shine, and his shot on 50 minutes had power, but Amos held it comfortably. Five minutes later Molloy seized upon a poor backpass by Darlaston defender Harry Chesterton and fed Tom Lawless, who’s shot seemed destined for the goal but defender Ashley Carter slid from nowhere to block it with his body.
The last ten minutes saw Trafford frantically pushing for at least an equaliser, but the home side showed resilience in defence. Substitute Taylor Dyson hit a free kick past the post, then three Trafford corners in a row were repelled. Debutant Ian Togo hit the side netting, and Dana Amaral lobbed Amos in injury time only to see his effort bounce away off the underside of the bar.
The defeat leaves Trafford eight points from safety. They entertain Avro FC at home on Boxing Day (kick off 3pm) and Tom Baker will be hoping their performances, which have recently seen big signs of improvement, will start securing regular three points soon….
(Pete McGrath)
1 vs 0 Trafford FCChasetown vs Trafford FC
Trafford produced another tremendously courageous display on Saturday to earn a vital point in their quest to climb off the bottom of the NPL West Division table.
Tom Baker’s side started confidently and had the ball in the back of the net twice in the opening ten minutes, Sean Higgins rifling a shot inside the far post and then Matt Davies volleying in from ten yards. Unfortunately both goals were ruled out by marginal offside decisions.
In the 16th minute Davies squandered a glorious opportunity to put the visitors ahead when he broke clear down the middle but, with only goalkeeper Curtis Pond to beat, he shot against the left hand upright.
Trafford remained in control and took the lead just two minutes later when Davies cleverly slipped the ball through to Brad Byrne who coolly slotted his shot past the advancing Pond.
Joey Butlin just failed to connect with a left wing cross in the hosts meaningful first attack but disaster struck for Baker’s team in the 34th minute when Chasetown equalised against the run of play, Tom Thorley glancing a header inside the far post following a free kick from the left.
Undaunted by this setback, Trafford continued to play with great composure and Brad Byrne should have done better when his curling shot from just inside the penalty area was held at full length by Curtis Pond.
Whereas Trafford had been the dominant force in that first period, the hosts edged the second period in terms of possession although Sean Higgins wasted a good opportunity for the visitors in the 65th minute when he fired wastefully over from just 15 yards.
Chasetown’s George Cater curled a shot inches wide in the 78th minute but despite mounting attack after attack the home team were unable to trouble a Trafford defence superbly marshalled by skipper Harry Norris, and keeper Sam Booth was not called upon to make a save of any note.
The final whistle signalled an excellent result for Baker’s Boys against a team just outside the play-off places, but they now face an absolutely crucial game on Saturday when they visit next-to-bottom Darlaston Town. However, if they can replicate this performance, they will be confident of earning all three points.
1 vs 1 Trafford FC TFC ReservesTrafford FC vs Witton Albion
An intense, physical encounter ended goal-less with Trafford squandering two late chances to snatch the win they so desperately need.
Witton could have taken the lead after just thirty seconds when Freddy Garbutt pounced on a weak clearance and volleyed against Sam Booth’s right hand upright from 25 yards.
Booth himself then gifted the visitors another golden opportunity with an awful pass inside his own penalty area but redeemed himself with a sharp save from Joe Duckworth.
Trafford gradually settled and skipper Harry Norris glanced a header just over following a right wing corner in the 9th minute.
Home striker Matt Davies then fed his marauding right back Sean Higgins who blasted a fierce low drive that was parried by Cameron Terry.
Brad Byrne’s close range effort was deflected wide after more good work by Higgins and Norris went close once more when his header from another corner flew just past the left hand upright.
Norris then cleared a Joe Duckworth shot off his own goal-line as play swung from end to end and as half time approached, Matt Davies and Dana Amaral both went close for Trafford with shots from 30 yards.
The second half opened with Trafford debutant Harry Leigh, on loan from Bolton Wanderers, firing over from the edge of the penalty area and Harry Norris went close again when he nudged a shot over after another corner.
Sam Booth produced a fine full length save to thwart Tom Hoyle in the 63rd minute and shortly afterwards Trafford’s Kieron Molloy just failed to connect with a near post flick following a long throw from the right.
Skipper Norris was in the thick of the action once more when he cleared off the line after a weak punch by Booth but the closing stages belonged to Trafford as they desperately pushed forward in search of the winner.
Matt Davies agonisingly fired across the face of the Albion goal after cutting in from the right and in the final seconds Harry Norris nodded a corner back across the face of the goal and substitute Tom Lawless’s close range header was brilliantly tipped over by Terry.
A hugely entertaining game played in atrocious conditions came to a close with honours shared and Trafford now face two daunting away games at Chasetown and Darlaston as they fight for survival in the NPL West Division.
0 vs 0 
Witton Albion
