TRAFFORD were robbed of all three points by an 88th-minute equaliser in another enthralling Northern Premier League encounter at Runcorn Linnets on Saturday.

The visitors started brightly with Max Hazeldine feeding Matty Barlow in the fourth minute but Barlow screwed his shot wide from 15 yards.

Trafford stormed ahead just seven minutes later when Mike Burke released Aidan Roxburgh down the left and the young full-back outpaced the Runcorn defence before unleashing a magnificent drive past Joe Young into the top corner.

Runcorn then took control with Oladapo Olarewaju and Iwan Murray causing problems with their pace and trickery and in the 19th minute the former struck a powerful, angled drive that Matty Cooper pushed behind for a corner.

Ex-Trafford full-back Ally Brown and Olarewaju them combined superbly on the right but James Neild read the situation brilliantly to clear the danger off his own goal-line.

The hosts were on top in the opening stages of the second half but Trafford were defending with great resilience and organisation and in the 57th minute Burke almost made it two when he struck a sensational volley on the turn from 20 yards that flew inches over.

Trafford were now in the ascendancy but Burke fired wide with just Young to beat and Matty Barlow struck a low drive that was deflected wide.

The Runcorn defence looked particularly vulnerable to the quick break but on several occasions Trafford wasted great opportunities to increase their lead due to a lack of precision with their final pass.

And in the 88th minute they were made to pay for their wastefulness when a Runcorn raid down their right ended with a cross into the box that Thomas Marsh-Hughes met with a magnificent volley past Cooper and into the bottom corner.

Just 60 seconds later the game erupted when Trafford were reduced to 10 men, Roxburgh harshly receiving a second yellow card for a high kick that unfortunately caught Olarewaju.

Despite this Danny Caldecott’s side weathered some late pressure and a succession of corners to hold out for a draw, although in reality they were unfortunate not to win all three points.

On Saturday Trafford entertain Kendal Town at the Home Estates Shawe View Stadium (3pm).