Trafford were robbed of at least a point on Saturday when Tom Schofield’s 63rdminute ‘equaliser’ was incredibly ruled out when Brighouse goalkeeper Jordan Porter persuaded the referee that the ball had instead gone through the side-netting.
In reality, Tom Baker’s side should not have been in a position of chasing the game as they had been almost completely on top in the first half with Jordan Johnson missing a penalty after just four minutes following a foul on Darius Palma.
Palma then curled a drive just past the upright, Schofield rifled over from 20 yards and centre back Sam Baird somehow failed to convert from a yard following a free kick from the right.
Two minutes before half time the hosts almost snatched the lead when Trafford left back Joel Amado carelessly gave the ball away and Joe Jagger broke clear but thankfully screwed his shot wide with just Matty Cooper to beat.
The second half started disastrously for the visitors as Brighouse took the lead, Luke Rawson cutting in from the left and crossing for Joe Jagger to head home from six yards.
Cooper then blocked a Shiraz Khan effort at the near post before Trafford debutant Lewis Walters finished off a slick move by firing into the side-netting.
In the 57th minute Brighouse dangerman Khan made it two when he struck a superb first time shot from 20 yards into the far corner and Trafford manager Baker responded by introducing substitute Sam Grimshaw to the fray.
Within minutes Grimshaw set off on a scintillating run down the left and when he was tripped by a desperate home defender, Darius Palma coolly stepped forward to fire the resultant penalty past Jordan Porter.
Just sixty seconds later, Grimshawsurged forward once more and crossed for Tom Schofield to fire home from six yards and celebrate a magnificent comeback.
However, the game then descended into farce as goalkeeper Porter clearly conned the referee into believing that the ball had gone through the side-netting when in fact it had gone through a hole in the back of the Brighouse goal.
Referee Guest stunned the Trafford players and supporters by awarding a goal-kick to the hosts.
The telling factor was that Schofield jubilantly celebrated the ‘goal’ whereas if he had missed from such close range he would have held his head in shame.
After a lengthy delay the game continued with Matty Cooper pushing a low drive by Reece Ellington past the post and Joel Amado heading a corner just wide.
Further controversy ensued with the sending off of Brighouse substitute Jack Lazenby for a second yellow card and an unsavoury melee that involved all 22 players and the management teams of both clubs.
Ten minutes of ‘injury time’ were added but Trafford could not force an equaliser with a cracking drive by Curtis Miller and an equally fine save by Porter being the only chance of note.
Despite this defeat, Trafford remain in seventh place in the Northern Premier League North West Division and will be looking to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they entertain Pickering Town at the Home Estates Shawe View Stadium, kick off 3 p.m.
(Photo by Steven Ambler, Brighouse Town Website)