THE travelling Trafford faithful enjoyed a day in the sun on Saturday as Tom Baker’s team completed a comfortable 2-0 win against Ramsbottom United in Evo-Stik First Division North.

Baker’s boys showed their intent in the eighth minute when an Ash Woods cross was headed over by Greg Daniels, the home keeper getting a vital touch to put the striker off.

Andy Keogh was proving to be a handful with a couple of chances, the first a header over the bar from a Liam Brownhill corner and then a shot wide after Brownhill again had provided the pass.

Woods was involved again after sustained Trafford pressure resulted in the ball breaking to him but his shot was just wide of the far post.

The Rams then showed some fight and a free kick on the edge of the box was headed over by Lee Gaskell on 37 minutes. Bradley Roscoe then had a header tipped over by the alert Terry Smith three minutes later.

The half ended as it began with Keogh heading just wide from a great left-wing cross by Lee Neville.

Trafford’s dominance continued into the second half and on 48 minutes Neville met Brownhill’s cross with a fierce drive, but Martin Fearon in the home goal tipped the ball over the bar.

Eventually the deadlock was broken on the hour mark. The ball out from a throw fell to Luke Horrocks in a central position 25 yards out. He picked his spot and curled the ball past the static keeper in off the post.

A moment of madness then followed for the Rams' goalkeeper, Fearon. Woods chased down a ball the keeper gathered, but he raised his studs and kicked the Trafford striker in the chest. The referee had no choice but to show a red card and Woods coolly slotted the resulting penalty past stand-in keeper Dean Stott.

The game then became scrappy with Trafford unable to assert their dominance and sloppy in possession.

However, they comfortably saw the game home and will use the win to consolidate third place in the league as they look to push on to cement a play-off place over the next few weeks.