TRAFFORD continued their recent good form on Tuesday night with a 2-1 victory at West Didsbury and Chorlton in the Frank Hannah Manchester FA Premier Cup.

Manager Tom Baker made 10 changes from the side that beat Prescot Cables last Saturday, so it was a young-looking Trafford team bolstered by the experience of assistant manager Danny Caldecott and goalkeeping coach Terry Smith.

Trafford took the game straight to their hosts and in the first 10 minutes young starlets Michael Jones and Dontai Gabidon had good chances to score courtesy of a free kick and a pacy run at goal, respectively.

Meanwhile, ex-Trafford striker Ash Woods saw his goalbound effort for Didsbury cleared by visiting skipper for the evening Sam Baird.

Two excellent chances were created just before half time by Trafford winger Sam Grimshaw, but first Tom Schofield then Gabidon again, just failed to convert.

Ten minutes into the second half, another surging run from Grimshaw saw him cut inside and slide the ball past the oncoming Didsbury keeper to put Trafford 1-0 ahead.

Two minutes later the home side nearly equalised, but a fine save from veteran keeper-coach Smith kept Trafford in front.

A lively Didsbury side then generated some pressure and were awarded a penalty in the 65th minute.

Despite getting a hand to the ball, Smith was unable to keep out Matt Argent-Barnes’s spot-kick which levelled the scores.

Going into the last 20 minutes the Shawe View men began to regain the upper hand over their opponents from the league below.

The tricky Darius Palma was off the bench and in the 75th minute a clever combination between Palma and left-back Jack Leigh culminated in a fine cross which young striker Curtis Miller headed home to restore the lead and send Trafford into the second round.

On Saturday, a 72nd-minute penalty by leading goalscorer Lewis Salmon earned Trafford the points in a pulsating encounter against Prescot Cables.

The game was played at a great pace throughout with both sides totally committed, physical and showing tremendous intensity.

However, clear-cut chances were at a premium in an evenly-matched first half, Trafford debutant Oli Roberts firing a free kick straight at Oliver Taylor, Cables striker James Edgar shooting wide from the edge of the penalty area and the home full-back Joel Amado seeing his deflected cross loop over Taylor only for James Cooper to clear superbly off the goal-line.

Cables finished the first half slightly on top with Amado blocking a Reece McNally drive following a great move by the visitors and then George Hassall heading a left-wing corner just over the bar.

Tom Baker’s side started the second half with renewed vigour and in the 53rd minute, Salmon was desperately unlucky when he rattled the bar after a fine low cross from the left by Amado.

Ill-discipline then cost the visitors dearly as Josh Gregory, already cautioned for a reckless challenge in the first half, upended Salmon and was sent off.

Nine minutes later Cables substitute Will Avon needlessly pushed Salmon to the ground and the 17-year-old dusted himself down to coolly place the resulting penalty past Taylor to put Trafford ahead.

To their credit, the 10-man Cables side battled gamely to the end and James Edgar was unfortunate when his sweetly-struck free kick from 25 yards rebounded back into play off the bar.

Trafford then failed to clear a free kick from the left and Lloyd Dean’s shot from just six yards was deflected over the bar.

The final whistle signalled a magnificent victory for the young Trafford side against a formidable opposition.

Tom Baker’s side take on Runcorn Linnets this Saturday at home, kick off 3pm.