Match Report

Trafford fell to their eighth successive league defeat at Atherton on Saturday and remain firmly rooted at the foot of the NPL West Division table.

Despite their malaise, Karl Marginson’s side started the game confidently with Kieron Molloy flashing the ball across the face of the Colls goal in the opening minutes.

However, chances were few and far between as both defences dominated, although Molloy went close again in the 31st minute when his shot at the back post was bundled behind by Colls keeper Jack Dallimore.

And from the resultant corner by Ben Woods, skipper Harry Norris headed agonisingly wide from just six yards.

The first half appeared to be heading goal-less when, in the second minute of time-added-on, Colls winger Chinedu Uche cut in from the right and crossed for Sonny Reeves to volley sweetly past Sam Booth from ten yards.

This was incredibly cruel on a Trafford side that had shaded the first half in terms of possession and had played with a confidence and compactness that had been missing in recent weeks.

Unfortunately Trafford were unable to replicate their performance in the second half and Colls almost doubled their lead in the 52nd minute when Uche cut in from the right and rifled a drive into the side-netting.

Sonny Reeves then cracked a shot inches over from the left side of the Trafford penalty area and manager Marginson attempted to rejuvenate his team with a triple substitution, Campbell Reid, Henry Brown and Kingston Fligg all joining the action.

Uche went close again in the 76th minute but was thwarted by a neat save by Booth and just a minute later Trafford created their best chance of the game when the ball fell invitingly to Fligg just 15 yards out but he crashed his shot wide of the far post.

Trafford pushed forward in vain in the dying minutes but were unable to break down the superbly organised Colls defence and the final whistle signalled another agonising single goal defeat for Marginson’s team, their sixth of the eight losses.

The Boys from Shawe View now move on to Wincham Park on Tuesday night when they face Witton Albion in an NPL West Division fixture kicking off at 7-45 p.m.

Can they break their duck and secure their first points of the season?