Lancaster City 0-1 Trafford

In a tight affair that was lacking in many clear-cut chances it was the visitors who came away with the victory.

A free-kick 25 yards from goal eluded everyone before being headed home by Alex Frost at the back post midway through the second half.

It proved to be enough for Trafford who cut City’s lead at the top to three points.

The match started slowly with both teams struggling to stamp any sort of authority on the game.

The first chance fell to Trafford as Mark Derbyshire’s header went past City ‘keeper Mike Hale before being cleared off the line by Gavin Clark.

Lancaster managed to work themselves into the game and came agonisingly close to scoring as Clark’s header from a Ryan Winder corner hit the post.

Then, Jordan Connerton should have tested the opposition ‘keeper, Terry Smith, but his volley went inches wide after some nice build-up play from Louis Mayers.

The Dolly Blues were on top for the first time in the game and Mayers should have scored but couldn’t get a meaningful touch on Jacob Gregory’s low cross and the ball was picked up easily by Smith.

Having frustrated City and stopped their quick-paced, flowing game Trafford continued in the same vein after the interval.

Derbyshire should have broken the deadlock but his first-time shot was put over the bar from seven yards out.

There was a sense that if any team was going to score then it would be Trafford and Lancaster defender, Josh Westwood, almost put the ball into his own net as he sliced an attempted clearance and saw it fly inches wide of the post.

And then, with 23 minutes of the second half gone, the visitors had their breakthrough as Frost latched on to the end of a free-kick to put his side deservedly in front.

The goal knocked the wind out of the Blues’ sails with Phil Brown sending on an extra striker in search of a leveller.

City continued to struggle but could have had a spectacular equaliser as Hale went up for a corner in injury time at the end of the match and rose highest only to see his header fly past the post.

Lancaster City: Hale, Birch, Clark, Wills, Westwood, Steel, Gregory (Jarvis), Carney, Connerton (Akrigg), Mayers, Winder (Kilifin). Subs not used: Mercer, Sumner.

Trafford: Smith, Brownhill, Neville, Langford, Frost, Granite, Brown, Dorney (Williams), Burns, Derbyshire (Daniels), Horrocks (Irakoze). Subs not used: Gosling, Lomax-Newton.

Referee: John Mulligan.