Trafford MV opened their season with a Lancashire Trophy fixture at Liverpool St Helens and a depleted availability list due to holidays and absences saw a disappointing start to the campaign.
With players taking the field out of position mistakes were going to be inevitable and in the early skirmishes TMV lost centre Aaron Fagan to a yellow card for a clash of heads in a defensive tackle. LSH kicked the resultant penalty 3-0. The scores were levelled within minutes as TMV forced a penalty for Aaron Booth to slot the kick 3-3. LSH were looking sharp and a break through the centres, exploiting TMV's missing man, saw the home side score under posts and convert 10-3. A further attack saw LSH break down right wing, missed tackles see them score under posts, converted 17-3. Trafford were looking in real trouble as strong driving play from the home side in left corner sees driving maul crash over. Conv missed 22-3. Spirits were raised for a short time as a TMV driving maul in left corner results in try for hooker Phil Simms, converted by Booth 22-10. The well being was short lived as a quick tap penalty by LSH catches MV sleeping and poor tackles brings converted try under posts 29-10 going into Half Time.
Trafford MV needed to score early to get back in the game and they did this a another lineout catch and drive brings try for TMV from Abdul Mirza, unconverted 29-15. Defence was just not strong enough for the visitors and scrappy MV defence let’s LSH in to left of sticks, converted 36-15. The TMV defence opens up once again and LSH take advantage with soft try, converted 43-15 to finalise the score and put Trafford out of the Trophy in the first round.
Lot's for Trafford to work on as players return and a cohesive squad is built. This coming weekend see's the same fixture again as TMV return to LSH, this time in the first league game of the season.
Trafford MV will hold their annual South Of The River Beer Festival on 12/13th September in conjunction with the first home game of the Rugby season and the final weekend of the summer cricket season. Tickets are now on sale from the Club and online - check the event on Facebook and Eventbrite.
