TRAFFORD'S winless start to the season extended to eight matches with a goalless home draw against Colwyn Bay on Tuesday but it was an improved performance from Tom Baker's side.

Despite the lack of goals, there was no shortage of excitement as Trafford battled desperately to end their barren start to the Evo-Stik North campaign.

Baker gave a debut to new signing Jason St Juste and he thrilled the crowd with some electrifying bursts down the left flank.

But it was the visitors who edged the first half in terms of possession and cohesion as their slick passing stretched the Trafford defence.

Nevertheless, Bay were restricted to long-range efforts that failed to trouble Grant Shenton, the exception being in the 38th minute when Louis Barnes rifled a magnificent drive from 30 yards that the home keeper spectacularly tipped past the upright.

And it was Trafford who came closest to breaking the deadlock when St Juste saw his cross-shot from the left rebound off the near post and James Dean head wide from a great position.

Dean saw another header cleared off the line in the 52nd minute with Andy Langford firing onto the roof of the net from 30 yards as Bay half-cleared the danger.

Both teams were pushing forward in search of the winner and in the 74th minute Bay substitute Jamie Menagh cut in from the left and cracked a drive that clipped the crossbar and flew over.

But it was Trafford who finished the strongest, Keil O’Brien seeing his header cleared off the line and substitute Andy Keogh twice going close in the dying seconds.

Manager Tom Baker was delighted with his team’s improved performance after a 2-0 home reverse against Prescot Cables three days earlier.

The visitors dominated the early stages with some confident possession football and in the 23rd minute Dominic Marie curled a free kick just over from the left.

Trafford sprang into life in the 27th minute when Ash Woods fed Kingsley Williams who screwed his shot wide from 12 yards.

Cables right winger Josef Faux made several darting runs down his flank but Trafford were on top as half time approached with Dean volleying over and Timmy Raheem rifling a 30-yard drive just wide.

Disaster struck for the home side just six minutes into the second period when a long ball out of defence found Jordan Southworth and he held off a challenge by Ally Brown to fire past Shenton and make it 1-0.

Within a minute Trafford were almost back on level terms when Williams' close-range shot was deflected wide and from the resulting corner O’Brien’s goalbound header was cleared off the line by Andy Scarisbrick.

In the 56th minute the home side squandered another glorious opportunity to equalise when Dean was pushed from behind but Williams saw his spot-kick superbly saved by Marcus Burgess.

Substitute Andy Keogh was introduced to the fray and he floated over two crosses from the left, one of which was just too high for Dean at the back post and the second that Dean glanced agonisingly past the upright.

And to add to Trafford’s anguish, with just two minutes remaining O’Brien was adjudged to have tripped Tunde Olowabi and Jordan Wynne stepped forward to coolly place his penalty past Shenton and complete the scoring.