TRAFFORD boss Tom Baker says there are mixed emotions after the club's play-off defeat to bogey side Prescot Cables last week.

The Shawe View men went down 3-0 to consign them to another season in Evo-Stik North.

But while there was obvious disappointment for boss Baker, he is also proud of how far the club has come after they also reached the Manchester Premier Cup final before a penalty shoot-out defeat to FC United of Manchester.

Speaking to the club's newsletter, Baker said: "I have mixed emotions. Prescot are an excellent team but I hoped we could turn our terrible run of form against them around and change our poor record there but it just wasn’t meant to be.

"I’m not sure whether confidence played a part in the result but after conceding such a poor goal only five minutes into the game, maybe my players were thinking 'not again'.

"You could also see the lift and belief it gave their players. For us to win the game we needed to start well and fast and put Prescot on the back foot; unfortunately the goal changed all that and the game plan went out of the window.

"I’m not going to make excuses but we missed a few big players in the run-in and Danny Frost’s head injury also didn't help.

"But I still felt, in a one-off game, we could achieve something great but it was a bridge too far.

"In my football career, before management, I was accustomed to success and winning league titles so I find it very difficult to deal with failure.

"Having said that, deep down I know what a fantastic season it was to reach a cup final and also a play-off semi-final.

"Once you get to that point it is fine margins – I could quite easily be sat here having won the cup final and been in the play-off final.

"The season on the whole has been very difficult; it’s certainly not been without its issues and problems.

"For sure, this is the best squad I have had but I’d also say it’s been the most problematic and toughest season of my reign.

"Of course, you could also add to that the most successful."