Having controlled the game for the first hour, two mistakes cost the Celts a place in the quarter final of the Manchester Cup.

Celtic had the dream start to the match when Obua Mugalula threaded a perfect pass into the curving path of Aaron Dwyer. One-on-one with Brad Rose, Dwyer fired across the keeper, wrong footing him and opening the scoring. Moments later and Mugalula went alone, creating the space but his lob over Rose came back off the woodwork. Dwyer and Mugalula were guilty of profligacy with their next efforts, both firing too high, before Scott Wara headed over Rose and into the back of the net, only to see a controversial offside flag deny him a place on the team sheet. In largely one way traffic, Dwyer brought a fine stop from the Trafford custodian, before Rose was guilty of too heavy a touch on a pass-back, allowing Mugalula to nip in and steal the ball, prodding home past the despairing keeper in a dominant first half.

The vein continued in the second period, but despite Max Leonard’s free kick going the wrong side of the post, Celtic seemed more content at soaking up what little resistance Trafford offered. A dangerous approach, especially when Rob Worrall’s looping cross was met by the head of Tom Beckett at the back post, looping his header back over the previously untroubled Luke Hewitson, halving the deficit. Celtic tried to go back up through the gears and Matty Bryan came close to restoring the two-goal cushion but couldn’t get his snap shot on target. Thus, when Jake Kenny tried to switch play and hit Greg Wilkinson’s head, the ball fell kindly to Eddie Servuts to race in on goal while Wilkinson lay dazed on the floor. One-on-one he powered past Hewitson to equalise.

With penalties looming another mistake, this time deep into stoppage time, allowed Harrison Denton the space to run one-on-one with Hewitson and give Trafford a late winner. Three shots on target and three goals, will leave James Kinsey looking at the half dozen missed opportunities for Celtic, while Trafford go on to face Glossop.