A 2-1 defeat followed by a 3-2 victory in back-to-back home games now leads Radcliffe to a return to the road as we visit Trafford for the first time since 2018, when Jon Macken’s men picked up a 1-0 win. 

Last time out, the Boro defeated neighbours Bury to claim The Paul Hilton Trophy on home soil, Jordan Hulme’s hat-trick being the difference on the day with two goals in the final ten minutes to snatch victory from the hands of the Shakers.

The Opposition

The hosts finished 9th in the Northern Premier League West Division last season, under the guidance of former Radcliffe player Karl Marginson, who also managed FC United of Manchester for 12 years from 2005-2017.

New signing Rio Clegg was a star player for Trafford in the last campaign, finishing as the league’s top goalscorer with 20 goals in 39 appearances including numerous match winners and 14 goals in a 10-match spell between the end of January and mid-March, before arriving at the Neuven Stadium this summer and is set to face his former side.  

Trafford enter tonight’s fixture with a mixed bag of results in pre-season, but they will fancy their chances after back-to-back wins in their last two games against FC United of Manchester and Flixton. Shawe View has been a fortress over recent weeks, as those victories, as well as a 1-0 triumph over Coleshill Town mean they’ve won every game they’ve played on home soil so far in preparation for the 2025/26 season.

Ones To Watch

22-year-old Sean Higgins will be a player to keep an eye out for at Shawe View tonight. Captaining the club in their last pre-season friendly, the full-back has previously played for the likes of Oldham Athletic, Matlock Town and Bury, and has been tipped to have a bright future in non-league football for years to come.

Former Boro loanee Kevin Spinelli will most likely be leading the Trafford line against Bernard and Jonno’s side tonight, looking to find the back of the net against his former club. The 22-year-old striker featured in a handful of appearances for Radcliffe during the 2021/22 campaign, scoring one goal in a 5-1 FA Trophy second round victory over Tamworth.

Last Time Out

Tuesday 22nd November 2022 – Radcliffe 5-2 Trafford

Bobby Grant’s men claimed a convincing victory on the night, as they put five past Trafford to book their place in the semi-final of the Manchester Premier Cup. 

Radcliffe got off to the perfect start after just four minutes, Jude Oyibo grabbed his first assist of the night with a low pass across the face of goal which Jake Thompson was more than happy to take advantage of by slotting home. 

However, the lower-league visitors restored parity seven minutes later through Mike Burke. Poor defending down the right side allowed a ball to be played across the box and the striker turned it goalwards, levelling the scoreline when it looked like Radcliffe could’ve had more in the opening ten minutes. 

The equaliser was then quickly forgotten about though as Radcliffe put themselves back in front moments later, Jude Oyibo was once again involved with a darting run and a low pass into Rick Smith, the stand-in striker got the ball out of his feet before side footing it into the bottom left corner with his unfamiliar foot. 

Bobby Grant bundled the ball into the back of the net from a set piece but he was rightly deemed offside, he wouldn’t be denied before half-time however, as the 32-year-old would put away his final chance of the first half to give Radcliffe a two-goal lead at the break. 

Nicky Adams bagged his eighth assist of the campaign with a teasing ball across the six-yard box which Bobby Grant poked into the centre of an empty net. 

After the break, Trafford had a large spell of possession and most notably started to create some good chances to get themselves back into the game, despite being 3-1 down. 

Mike Burke struck over the bar from a good position to deny him his second of the game, before Rob Worrall tried his luck from range but he too couldn’t keep his shot down. 

The away side would go on to score and narrow down the scoreline however, Tom Bentham made a good run through the centre of the pitch and was picked out by his teammate in midfield, remaining calm enough to sweep it into the bottom corner and give his side some hope going into the final ten minutes. 

As we entered stoppage time, Jake Thompson scored his second and third of the evening to cap off a fine Man of the Match performance with his first Radcliffe hat-trick. 

Matty Crothers threaded an exquisite ball into the forward who remained nonchalant to tuck away for his second, before rounding the goalkeeper and passing into an empty net to seal his third, sending Radcliffe into the next round in the process. 

Matchday Information

Date: 29/07/25
Time: 7:45pm kick-off
Location: Shawe View

Adult: £5
Concession: £3
Children: £1

Tickets can be purchased online here.

The turnstiles will also be open for supporters without online tickets, accepting cash or card payments.

Can’t Attend The Game?

Listen to live kick-by-kick commentary on Radcliffe Radio, click here to tune in from 7:40pm.