The Cables comfortably dispatched Trafford FC 5-1, as key-men Kyle Sambor, James Foley and John Murphy were all on fine form.

A packed crowd of 1025 were in full voice, setting a lively atmosphere at the Hope Street ground.

The game started slowly, with both teams seeing plenty of the ball on a grey afternoon at The Joseph Russell stadium.

The home-side’s forward press was electric, but on a few occasions they were one pass short from taking the lead.

On the 14th minute Kyle Sambor forced a ball towards John Murphy, who’s deflected shot in the area wasn’t dealt with by the visitors.

The ball seemed to be in Brad Rose’s grasp, until Jack Goodwin rose highest to pressure the goalkeeper and head home to make it 1-0. Officials waved them away protests followed from the losing side.

With the game all one-way traffic towards The Shed End, The Pesky Bulls were dominating their opponents.

The 18 places between the sides were starting to show, as the electric Tony Donaldson broke free down the left and squared a teasing ball into the box. Again, the pressure was poorly dealt with and the ever-present Sambor pushed through the crowd to expertly fire home and double the lead.

With the whole stadium recovering after a frantic start, the Greater Manchester outfit breathed new life into their revival.

Against the run of play, Tom Beckett found himself with room down the right-flank on 25 minutes and curled a wonderful effort from the edge of the box into the top corner. Karl Marginson’s men were back in the game but still had work to do.

The league-leaders dealt with the setback well, regaining control over the action. Skipper, Liam Hollett, marshalled his defence well and kept his side on top.

With the half drawing to a close The Yellows had their two-goal cushion back. Their in-form number nine Murphy glided towards goal, shrugging off challenges from Damola Sotona, until he was chopped down in the box. The referee pointed to the spot, and Foley dispatched the penalty kick.

The second period started exactly how it ended, with The Cables extending their lead. Sambor tirelessly chased down a ball over the top, forcing Sotona to push the ball out. With Trafford’s defence napping, a quick throw-in saw Murphy through on goal. Making no mistake, he fired past the hopeless keeper. With Murphy’s purple patch continuing, his effort sent his side into cruise control.

To Trafford’s credit, attempts to play their football was still apparent, despite the scoreline. Their best chance since the restart came from a freekick with Rob Worrall firing wide.

The change in momentum was short-lived, with nice work down the right seeing Foley pivot and shoot to grab his second and make it 5-1 with 15 left to play.

The resounding win sees Steven Daley’s side cement top spot for another week. For Trafford, another difficult week keeps them at the wrong end of the table.

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