Vauxhall Motors played their first game since Boxing Day on Thursday evening against their Welsh rivals who were playing their seventh pre-season fixture!

Despite the disparity in levels, Mick McGraa’s side started brightly with new signing Kiernan Knapper from Sandbach prominent on the right flank. But gradually the hosts grew stronger and around the half hour mark went close twice with decent free kicks as well as firing another good effort just off target.

Then on 40 minutes, the Wingmakers took the lead when a clear foul inside the area led to a penalty which was coolly dispatched to give Airbus a deserved half time lead.

Motors made several changes at the interval and within three minutes of the restart substitutes Joe Brandon and Kieran Hamm combined to level up the scores, with the latter heading home a superb right wing cross from the former.

But in next to no time both half time replacements Glen Rule and Cross sustained injuries causing the manager to reshuffle his side once more. Just before that Cross had gone very close to firing Motors into the lead while Hamm saw his free kick from 25 yards just go over the bar.

However Motors were undone in the 77th minute when a left sided attack saw the hosts regain the lead from the tightest of angles. The visitors responded in a positive way and went hell bent on equalising for a second time, with newcomer Tom Murray bringing the very best out of the home keeper but it wasn’t enough to prevent a defeat.

But given the fact this was their first outing for over six months, the manager can be pleased with the overall performance.