KENDAL TOWN 2, TRAFFORD 7

TRAFFORD’S League season came to life on Tuesday with a superb 7-2 away win at Kendal Town. On a challenging pitch in heavy rain, Tom Baker’s team produced a scintillating display of fast attacking football with some gritty performances in the key midfield areas.
Trafford survived an early scare when Kendal’s Emil Jasskelinen flicked a first minute chance past Matt Cooper, but the ball hit the post and rolled to safety. The Shawe View men immediately gathered their composure and just 90-seconds after that near disastrous start some clever wing play by Darius Palma lead to Trafford Skipper Sam Egerton stabbing home a cross fumbled by the Kendal ‘keeper O’Rourke.
On the other flank, new signing Toyeeb Mustapha was causing all sorts of problems with his energy and trickery, and it was he who rose at the far post to head home a fine cross from Declan Rydings after 16 minutes to double Trafford’s lead.
Trafford controlled the half from hereon, so much so that Kendal didn’t have a shot until minute 36. Soon after this, Trafford’s 17-year-old striker Lewis Salmon, undaunted throughout by the attentions of the sturdy Kendal defenders, made it 3-0 when he got to the ball first in the goalmouth melee following a corner.
Just before half time that boy Salmon struck again, heading home another fine delivery from Palma for Trafford’s fourth. Moments later it could have been five when a wonderful weaving run into the box by Rydings saw his shot headed off the line.
After the interval the home side had renewed vigour, and Jasskelinen made up for his earlier miss by heading home a Joseph Dickson cross on 49 minutes. Trafford’s Lewis Salmon was chasing his hat-trick however, and after a shot on 52 minutes that came back off the keeper’s shin, he wouldn’t be denied his next opportunity as he finished an excellent Rydings / Palma move to bag his third and Trafford’s fifth.
Around the hour mark, Trafford made a couple of changes and on came attackers Sam Grimshaw and Jordan Johnson. In no time at all Grimshaw showed his skill and pace to feed Johnson who, with his first touch of the game, lifted the ball over the oncoming keeper to make it 6-1. There followed a swift reply from the home team for 6-2 before Trafford, spurred on by their travelling supporters singing in the Lake District rain, made it seven when Palma and Grimshaw combined to create another chance for Johnson which the experienced striker finished with precision.
The last fifteen minutes were difficult for both teams with the very soggy pitch negating all attempts to play attractive football. Trafford centre-back Keil O’Brien tried to change this, cleverly controlling a late corner then twisting & turning to get his shot away only to see it blocked. O’Brien’s sprint back to thwart the subsequent Kendal counterattack shows just how mush spirit there is in this Trafford team, who will surely be hoping that this excellent away victory can kick start their Northern Premier League campaign.
Trafford are at home this Saturday to Bamber Bridge in the FA Cup Preliminary round, kick off 3pm.
by Pete McGrath