IT has been a testing week for Witton Albion, although you couldn’t work that out from watching their team play.

This was a sixth win from the past seven matches, a cathartic distraction for supporters from the club’s off-field concerns.

The threat of legal action from Northwich Victoria, their tenants at Wincham Park, has taken focus from a group that is finishing the season strongly.

They won this contest, after a sluggish start, in an unfussy, authoritative manner.

Nor did they beat any old foe.

Trafford had beaten Albion as guests on five of their past six visits.

And, after collecting maximum points from eight of their previous 10 league games, they arrived still with a chance – however faint – of making the promotion play-offs.

However that hope was gone by full-time after a strangely insipid performance.

A goal in each half, scored by Danny Andrews and Rob Hopley respectively, settled the outcome in Witton’s favour.

“These boys are hungry,” said first-team coach Paul Moore afterwards.

“They’re motivated to win matches – they’re not sat around waiting for the season to finish.”

Albion rise to eighth as a result, their highest ranking since Carl Macauley – absent due to work commitments – replaced Scott Dundas as manager in October.

Trafford could not knock them off course, although they wasted a chance to take the lead midway through the first half.

Front man Dominic Smith pinched the ball from Theo Chrisokhou when the defender dithered, only for goalkeeper Ryan Neild to block with a boot when the duo came face-to-face.

Smith also jabbed instinctively over when Kyle Jacobs’ lofted pass dropped into his path, but the visitors did not get that close again.

They were sounded a warning when Alex Titchiner and Hopley combined tidily, only for the former to shoot straight at custodian Russ Saunders.

Titchiner played a pivotal part in Witton’s opener in the seconds before the break, clipping a cross to the back post that Chris Noone nudged into Andrews’ path.

The winger stooped to nod in, via an upright, his 19th league goal of the campaign.

Tom Owens skidded a header wide at the start of the second period, while Titchiner’s rising drive prompted Saunders to save smartly at his near post.

A second goal arrived on the hour.

Titchiner hustled Jacobs who, panicked, gifted possession to Hopley.

The outcome, a slotted finish into the corner, felt inevitable.

Smith shot feebly into Neild’s hands at the other end, while Titchiner was wasteful after picking Mitch Duggan’s pocket at the other end.

Hopley fluffed a simpler chance, heading too high when Anthony Gardner’s cross from the right reached him at the far post.

Moore added: “We deserved to win the game, simple.”

For 90 minutes at least, Witton’s troubles seemed far away.

Witton | 4-4-2 | Neild (GK), Gardner, Chrisokhou, Wilson, Peers, Andrews, Noone, Owens, King (Newton 75), Hopley, Titchiner (Parker 75) Subs not used Garner (GK), Mullarkey, Hickman Goals Andrews 45, Hopley 59 Booked Andrews (foul)

Trafford | 4-4-2 | Saunders (GK), Jacobs, Duggan, Granite, Neville, Davies, Langford, Bryant (Horrocks 53), Palmer (Burns 59), Smith (Derbyshire 64), McDonagh Subs not used Spencer (GK), Ledson Booked Bryant (foul), Burns (handball)

Referee Paul Ince

Attendance 254