Trafford completed their preparations for the forthcoming season with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Manchester League Champions Uppermill and can now look forward to Friday night’s FA Cup Tie at Albion Sports with renewed confidence.
The gulf in class between the two teams was evident from the start with the hosts taking just two minutes to get off the mark, new signing Rio Clegg volleying in at the back post following good work by Mike Burke.
Skipper Harry Norris made it two with a simple tap in from six yards and Clegg waltzed through the Uppermill defence on 16 minutes to side-foot past Tom Moule.
Clegg then became the provider when he sped down the right and crossed hard and low for Hilal Khan to net from close range and he completed an astonishing hat-trick within the first 23 minutes when he shot home from eight yards after good link up play between Matty Lusakueno and Mike Burke.
The impressive Khan then released Burke with a delightful pass over the Uppermill back four, Burke nonchalantly clipping the ball over the advancing Moule to make it 6-0 and the first half ended with a rather bizarre second goal from Harry Norris when he met a right wing corner first time and looped his shot over Moule and into the far bottom corner.
Trafford manager Karl Marginson made ten changes at half-time as a result of which the teams were slightly more evenly matched although Trafford still enjoyed the majority of the possession and created the better chances.
And the only goal of the second period arrived in the 72nd minute when Rob Worrall’s superb long diagonal pass found the marauding Tom Brown who coolly placed his shot past Moule and into the bottom corner.
Trafford now turn their attentions to Friday’s FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Tie in which they travel over the Pennines to play Bradford based Albion Sports, kick off 8 p.m. The North East Counties League outfit groundshare with Bradford Park Avenue who unfortunately have a home fixture on the Saturday, hence the Friday evening kick off.