Trafford FC defeated Nantwich 2-1 at Shawe View Stadium on Tuesday night to record their first win in the league this season.
Sean Lawton and Connor Heath were the latest additions to the Dabbers’ long injury list from Saturday, meaning Ahmed Ali played at left back and Nantwich only being able to name 3 outfield subs.
In contrast to the last couple of league performances away from home in midweek, the Dabbers started sharply. Jake Kirby-Reid, making his first start since joining the club, fired over inside 3 minutes after a threatening run at goal.
Byron Harrison, who also left the pitch with a knock on Saturday, was fit to start here and had one or two half chances, heading over from a low Stevie Hewitt cross and hitting a high ball into the ground and straight at Brad Rose in the Trafford goal.
On 25 minutes, the Dabbers opened the scoring. Kai Evans was scythed down on the right wing, and from the resulting free kick, Troy Bourne had the desire to get there first and slide the ball home from Hewitt’s pinpoint delivery. Hewitt must surely be near the top of the assist charts for the entire division with another for his tally here.
Trafford then threatened at the other end for the first time, Nantwich scrambling it away. A few minutes later, Nantwich spurned a great chance to double the lead. Sean Cooke was put in, in what was his first start since coming back from injury, and curled a shot past Rose but against the crossbar.
After not doubling the lead, things then started to go wrong for Nantwich. Paddy Kay conceded possession in midfield, the ball went to Matty Lusakueno and he set off towards the Dabbers goal, running horizontally across several Nantwich defenders before finding a gap to slot easily past Danny Roberts to equalise.
It then got worse for the visitors. After getting booked on 39 minutes on the totting up measure of a couple of fouls, Bourne stretched for the ball on 41 minutes but got it wrong and caught his man. The ref had no real option but to show a second yellow just two minutes after the first, and Troy will miss 2 games with this being his second red of the season, after Shifnal in the FA Cup.
Cooke was sacrificed for Nathan Okome to sure up the defence as the sides went into half time level on goals but not on players.
A quite incredible few minutes at the start of the second half ended with Trafford taking the lead. Kai Evans shot straight at Rose, then just moments later an even better save to push over a piledriver from Hewitt that would have took the net out.
From that corner, a touch took the ball towards goal but was cleared away from near the goalline. The ball went to that man Lusakueno in his own half, and once again he took off. Kay was closest to him at one point but couldn’t do the ‘tactical foul’ as he was also on a yellow. Lusakueno went on and on and curled past Roberts in the box to complete the turnaround. It was a goal and individual performance that had Trafford fans commenting how they’d probably struggle to keep hold of this player.
Nantwich didn’t give up but it was always a tough ask with a player less. Cam Rooney came off the bench and a good strike was deflected over the bar for a corner. Evans then managed to evade challenges on the left touchline and poke at Rose from a narrow angle. Evans was later booked just seconds before he was due to be subbed, meaning he too will serve a suspension of 1 game for picking up 5 yellows.
Burke hit the roof of the net for Trafford and another cross was right across the face of goal as they did a good job of seeing the game out for their first win under new manager Karl Marginson.
Teams
Trafford FC: Brad Rose, Ally Brown, Damola Sotona, Kwame Osigwe, Harry Norris, Scott Kay (Astley Mulholland, 74), Mike Burke, Danny Lambert, Eddie Servuts, Rob Worrall (Hilal Khan, 90), Matty Lusakueno (Harrison Denton, 73)
Subs not used: Abet Zazai, Tom Eckersley
Goals: Lusakueno (35, 50)
Nantwich Town: Danny Roberts, Troy Bourne, Ahmed Ali, Paddy Kay, Mo Ali, Scott Butler, Kai Evans (Eric Yahaya, 81), Steven Hewitt, Byron Harrison, Sean Cooke (Nathan Okome, 43), Jake Kirby-Reid (Cam Rooney, 67)
Sub not used: Speare
Goal: Bourne (25)
Red card: Bourne (41)
Attendance: 297