TRAFFORD produced a spirited display despite a 3-1 home friendly defeat to Chester at the weekend.

The full-timers of Chester started the game confidently and took the lead after just eight minutes when Bradley Jackson neatly clipped the ball over Matt Cooper at the back post.

Home centre-back Keil O’Brien almost snatched an equaliser three minutes later but fired onto the roof of the net and the hosts were rather unfortunate to fall two goals behind in the 32nd minute when Simon Grand glanced the ball home from 10 yards.

Almost immediately Trafford right-back Harry Sheridan went close with a header that Russell Griffiths gathered comfortably.

But the hosts were rewarded for their enterprise nine minutes into the second half when new signing Sam Baird connected with a right-wing corner to power a header past Griffiths.

A host of substitutions disrupted the flow of the game and appeared to knock Trafford out of their stride and they were punished in the 77th minute when a wicked in-swinging corner from the right was headed past his own keeper by substitute Dougie Nyaupembe.

Tom Baker’s boys fought to the end and four minutes from time Adam Farrell and Sam Grimshaw linked neatly only to see Griffiths produce another fine save.

It was another home reverse on Tuesday night but again Baker's boys battled hard against National League North side Altrincham in a 2-0 defeat.

After early pressure by the visitors, Trafford almost took a surprise lead when Jordan Wynne struck a fine 25-yard drive that was touched onto the post by goalkeeper Tony Thompson.

At the other end, Cooper brilliantly tipped a curling effort by Matty Chadwick over the bar, and on the half-hour mark Thompson was in action once more, superbly saving one-handed to thwart a Joel Amado header.

In the 44th minute Phil Parkinson’s team broke the deadlock when Tom Peers was afforded too much space inside the Trafford penalty area and coolly steered his shot from 15 yards inside the left-hand post.

And in the 54th minute Josh Hancock doubled Alty’s advantage when sloppy defensive play led to a crisp drive from 20 yards that was deflected past the wrong-footed Cooper.

As is so often the case in pre-season friendlies, a raft of substitutions disrupted the flow and intensity of what had been an exciting encounter and the visitors dominated the remainder of the game without really troubling Cooper.

Trafford complete their preparations for the forthcoming season with two fixtures at the Home Estates Shawe View Stadium, entertaining Atherton Collieries on Tuesday night, kick off 7.45pm, and Scarborough Athletic on Saturday, August 10, at 3pm.