Key Moments from Trafford MV’s Defeat to Broughton Park

By Wilf Dooley

Trafford MV welcomed Broughton Park for a huge bottom-of-the-table clash, with plenty riding on the outcome for both sides.

The importance showed early as a misplaced MV kick-off instantly handed Broughton Park the ball. They kicked smartly to the corner and, from the resulting phase play, a mistake allowed the visitors to cross for the opening try.

Poor tackling opened the door for Broughton to score again, punishing Trafford with direct running straight through the heart of the defense. The opening exchanges saw an unfortunate knee injury to Andrew Beales, forcing him from the field.

Trafford MV regrouped and began to play some of their best rugby of the afternoon. The response was sparked by Joe Walls, producing a sublime out-the-back offload to Lewis Owen, who showed great composure and pace to sprint 35 meters for a superb try.

From there, the game opened up into a tit-for-tat contest, with both teams finding it easy to make yards and strike from distance. MV kept themselves firmly in the contest with further tries from Chris Ward, James Halsall, and Joe Walls, showcasing some excellent attacking play and continuity.

Half-time saw the return of Jamie Kingdon, straight into the action, confidently taking the kick-off and carrying hard. MV couldn’t clear their lines effectively, and Park’s strong, straight running through the middle earned a score.

MV pressed and were rewarded when Aaron Booth cleverly switched the point of attack to the blindside to score. Frustration crept back in as another clearance didn’t find touch; a high ball turned into a 50-50 contest, and while the referee have missed a knock-on, MV had invited the pressure.

Broughton’s wing scored on the left. At 39–29, MV looked capable of clawing their way back and did just that with a powerful driving maul try, a real strength on the day and a genuine moment of belief for the home side.

Unfortunately, that hope was short-lived as two late unanswered tries allowed Park to pull away and seal the contest. The final score, 34 – 51, told a harsh story. It was a disappointing result for Trafford in such a crucial fixture; they will need to dig deep, tighten up defensively, and rediscover their resilience if they are to find winning ways.

Photo – Centre Joe Walls Under A High Ball
Photo Credit – Ian Rogers