Stamford leave it late to rescue a point

Ryan Robbins drove his 92nd minute spot kick low and hard past Kieran O’Hara to dash the visitors’ hopes of widening their lead on the bottom four sides - a quartet that includes their hosts at the Vic Couzens Stadium.

A defeat would have been tough on the Daniels who were forced to fight back twice after conceding soft set-piece goals, the first of which was scored by Shelton Payne after just two minutes. The Trafford skipper turned a deep corner home through a crowd of players from the edge of the box to dent the Daniels’ enthusiastic start.

Despite the early setback, the home side enjoyed greater early possession and began to create more openings with Dan Lawlor distributing the ball well from deep midfield and Shawn Richards pushing forward on the wing.

Richards watched O’Hara turn his curling free kick away and soon afterward Robbins teed up Richard Wesley just inside the Trafford area but he was unable to get the ball from under his feet before a swarm of yellow-shirted players snuffed the opportunity out.

Finally, on 29 minutes, Stamford found a way through to secure the leveller that their energy going forward deserved. Jordan Smith, whose work-rate was magnificent in a deeper role within a three-man frontline, won a powerful header which caught the Trafford defence flat-footed. Robbins capitalised to burst through into space, round the goalkeeper and steer his shot home from an acute angle.

But only moments after drawing level, Stamford were behind again - this time punished for one of too many free kicks conceded during the game. Goalkeeper Alex Lynch was caught flat-footed after lining up his wall and Payne placed a simple strike into a wide open space to left of Stamford’s stranded keeper.

Soon after, Trafford came close to making it three when Tom Schofield found space behind Ryan Walker and crossed for Brett Mblanda to crash the ball against the bar but neither side could find a way through before the break.

Stamford continued to push forward in the second half, at times leaving themselves exposed at the back with Smith lucky to escape a booking for a desperate tackle that brought down Paul Ashton deep in the Stamford half. Stamford skipper Richard Jones denied Payne a shot at a hat-trick with an excellent tackle but his opposite numbers allowed Stamford’s frontmen little room for manoeuvre with David Moyo and Smith both denied after good build-up through midfield.

Trafford worked hard to cut Stamford’s attacks out at the source with the man on the ball often outnumbered by the men in yellow and when Richards was ruled offside after slotting the ball in the net from a slide-rule pass into the box from Lawlor, Stamford’s hopes of a second leveller appeared to be slipping away.

Then, two minutes into injury time, Robbins burst into the box, was brought down by O’Hara and got up to slam the ball home.

Disappointment was etched on the Trafford players’ faces but Stamford, who travel to fifth-placed Marine next weekend, were well worth their point.

Attendance: 271

Stamford: Alex Lynch, Shawn Richards, Richard Wesley (Liam Richardson), Ryan Walker, Richard Jones (c), Jon Challinor, Dan Lawlor, Alvin Jarvis (ash Robinson), David Moyo, Jordan Smith, Ryan Robbins. Subs: Jack Ashton, David Staff, Andrew Stevens.

Trafford: Kieran O’Hara, Chris Palmer, Luke Heron, Steve Mason, Nia Payunu, Rory Fallen, Shelton Payne (c), Tom Schofield, Michael Oates, Brett Mbalanda (Ali Nsanga), Paul Ashton. Subs: Jake Parker, Pmar McKenzie, Clovan Beadle, Callum Jones.