Trafford MV needs to start winning again after defeat against Warrington

By WIlf Dooley

On a fabulous bright day for the opening game of the season a large crowd was on hand to watch Trafford MV’s first competitive game in the Lancashire Trophy 1st Round.

Proceedings had been opened by a close fought memorial game and fun day in memory of Dave Hughes and supporting the cancer charity Maggies for which over £1200 was raised on the day.

This fixture with Warrington was always going to be a tough one for the home side Trafford who last season won promotion in the league – Warrington had reverse fortunes as they were relegated from the league above dropping into the same league as TMV now – so a bit of a gulf to contend with.

The visitors opened the stronger of the two sides and it is evident that Trafford need to sharpen up from the opening whistle to compete in this level of competition. The first half saw Warrington take the game to Trafford who struggled for good possession and as a result were under constant pressure.

Defence was poor giving too much space for attackers to run into and when tackles were attempted they were loose and not effective. As a result Trafford went into the half time break with a lot for coach Brain Collier to take in and change. The score at the break was 10-31 to Warrington with a big second half to come.

The second period saw Trafford play much better having listened to the half time talk and having seen what the opposition were about. Trafford sharpened up their defence and put a grittier edge into their contact play when they had possession.

Trafford’s selected side was far from the one that won the league with several players still absent from the training squad – this however has brought new young players into the equation and in the long run will prove beneficial to the club.

Fenton Dickinson picked up the players of the match while Ollie Jones and Jimmy Craven made their 1st XV debuts too. Trafford got the right side of the score line in the second half coming out 19 – 10 on top however the damage had been done in that first half. The final score saw Warrington win 29-41 and progress through to the next round where they will face Broughton Park at home.

Trafford MV must now move ahead rapidly with lessons learned from the 2 defeats under their belts in pre-season and cup. The squad needs to be consolidated with the return of absent players and emphasis on the first 20 minutes of play.

Confident solid defence needs to be in place from the kick off and a sharper cutting edge to attack needs to be developed. There are big challenges ahead but with the right attitude in training and getting the best XV onto the pitch each week these challenges can be beaten.

This weekend Trafford MV open their league campaign with a home fixture against Liverpool St Helens kicking off at MacPherson Park, M33 6LR at 3.00pm.

Admission is free and spectators are very welcome – a bar and hot food are available for your enjoyment. We will also be showing Springboks vs All Blacks rugby followed by Republic Ireland vs England football feel free to join us to watch.

On the weekend of 27/28th September the Club will be hosting the South Of The River Beer Festival featuring cask ales / ciders plus a gin and prosecco bar plus music and great street food.

Tickets are now on sale in the clubhouse bar and from event-brite events. We look forward to welcoming many new faces as well as the the return of those from earlier festivals and sharing a friendly drink with them.

Admission is just £5 and this will include a souvenir glass to take home.