Glossop North End 0, Trafford 1
Manchester Premier Cup, Quarter-final
Match Report: Stewart Taylor
Pictures: Jim Lockwood
In most sports it is of interest for a team to take on opposition who regularly play at a higher level. In football, cup competitions often provide this opportunity and it was in this context that Glossop North End met Trafford in the Manchester Premier Cup. Whilst the result shows that the Hillmen lost the match, they more than matched their opponents from two levels higher in the football pyramid and will take great encouragement from their performance into the League programme to come.
The home side started brightly but could only create half chances against a strong, well organised Trafford side. The breakthrough came somewhat against the run of play on 15 minutes as slick passing by the Trafford midfield delivered the ball to Andy Smart in space just outside the area. His well struck shot was touched by Andrew Jones in the GNE goal but had sufficient power to find the corner of the net. GNE hit back immediately and Trafford had 17 year old Manchester United Academy goalkeeper Kieran O’Hara to thank for maintaining their lead as he made no less than four fine saves from goalbound shots in the space of the next 20 minutes. He started with an acrobatic save from an effort by Tom Bailey. Lee Morris put in a fine shot from the angle of the box which was well saved. A slide-rule pass by Nick Allen put Bailey through but O’Hara was equal to the task and then, yet again, Bailey was thwarted by O’Hara with Sam Madeley unable to convert the rebound from a tight angle.
In between all of this action, Trafford were working hard to create chances of their own. Captain Martyn Andrews went close with an effort which was parried by Jones, the goalkeeper being quick enough to recover his position to smother the follow up effort by Andrews. The last incident of an eventful and free flowing half came as Trafford centre half Nia Bayunu saw his close range effort hit the underside of the crossbar; the ball being cleared to safety by the home defence.
The second half started with little of the free flowing, progressive football which had distinguished the first half. The match became scrappy, often interrupted by free kicks, and lacking in incident until half way through the period as the match briefly came back to life. On 67 minutes a fine ball from midfield by Bailey found substitute Paul Cliff clear on goal. Cliff seemed to be caught in two minds as a square ball was on to an unmarked colleague as he bore down on O’Hara. In the end, indecision won the day and the chance was gone. Just a minute later saw a fine cross from the left by Sam Madeley find Bailey in the area with space but, not for the first time, O’Hara made a fine save from another goalbound shot.
The match entered the last 10 minutes with Trafford applying pressure on the GNE goal but the home defence held firm. Into added time and the Hillmen pushed everything forward, including goalkeeper Jones, in an attempt to force an equaliser and it nearly worked as a header by Lincoln Adams was narrowly over the crossbar. That was the last chance of the match and the visitors took the win and move forward to the semi-finals.
GNE can look back on an excellent performance in a match which, at least for the first half, provided excellent entertainment for the mid-week crowd.
GNE: Jones, Byrne, Russell, Lugsden, Adams, Allen, Morris (Cliff), Hirst (Riley), Bailey, Hare, Madeley.
Tom Bailey of Glossop North End's shot in the first half is saved by Kieran O'Hara of Trafford. PICTURE: JIM LOCKWOOD/GNE
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