Witton v Trafford: preview (From Northwich Guardian)

Witton Albion face tricky test at home to Trafford in first game of New Year

12:33pm Friday 30th December 2011 in News By Andrew Simpson

Witton Albion v Trafford (Kick off 3pm)
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One North
Venue Help for Heroes Stadium
Referee Ian Hurdle (Holmes Chapel)
Admission Adults £8.50, Concessions £5.50, U15s £3, Armed Forces personnel (with valid ID) Free
Previous Meeting Witton 2 Trafford 5 (February 23, 2011)

Witton (from) Lomax-Newton(GK), Booth, Ben Harrison, Gardner, Glover, Wood, Andrews, Ennion, Hancock, James, Schofield, Woolley, Buchan, Gahgan, Moseley, Newman, Titchiner
Doubtful James (ankle), Newman (shin), Schofield (back)
Injured none
Suspended Cooper, Sheehan (both one match)
Unavailable Clampitt, Jamie Harrison
Disciplinary (up to end November 2011) Y10 R3
Top scorer Alex Titchiner (23)
Form (Past six home in league) L W W W W W
Record (Home) P10 W7 D0 L3 F26 A11 Pts21
Record (Overall) Pos5 P21 W13 D2 L6 F46 A26 Pts41

Trafford (from) Robertson (GK), Robinson (GK), Battersby, Bayunu, Kilbane, Mason, McGrath, Smart, Ashton, Buckley, Carden, Gallanders, Murray, Shaw, Tulloch, Collier, Oates, Whight
Doubtful n/k
Injured n/k
Suspended Knight, Thomas (both one match)
Disciplinary (Up to end November 2011) Y27 R3
Top scorer Michael Oates (16)
Form (Past six away in league) W W D W D L
Record (Away) P11 W6 D2 L3 F23 A18 Pts20
Record (Overall) Pos10 P24 W9 D7 L8 F45 A42 Pts34

Match pointers
WITTON must be wary of their next opponents, for only leading pair Curzon Ashton and Skelmersdale have scored more points on the road than Trafford.

Garry Vaughan’s men have amassed more than half of their tally to date away from Shaw View, avoiding defeat on their travels since October 15 – a sequence of five matches.

They hit the net every time too, not once firing a blank on an opponent’s pitch this term.

However hosts Witton can take comfort that each of Trafford’s defeats away from home have been against teams in the table’s top ten.

Brian Pritchard will be forced to make at least two changes from the side that triumphed at Warrington on Boxing Day, for goalkeeper Matt Cooper and new penalty taker Anthony Sheehan serve one-match bans.

With Oliver James (ankle) an injury doubt, Dean Ennion could stand in for the latter with Carl Clampitt unavailable.

Former Glossop North End number one Saul Lomax-Newton is the likely replacement for Cooper.

Albion had won five successive matches in front of their own supporters before Cammell Laird’s shock win last time out, a performance they will quickly want to consign to history.