Match Report

Trafford saved their worst performance of the season for the final game on Saturday when they were thrashed 4-0 by Congleton Town at the Cleric Stadium.

The hard, bumpy playing surface was not conducive to a possession based game but the hosts adapted immediately and took the lead after just five minutes when Danny Needham struck a low angled drive from the right inside the far post.

Trafford were struggling to string their passes together and in the 25th minute Town doubled their advantage when Tom Hampton found himself in acres of space down the middle and, with Trafford vainly appealing for offside, clipped the ball past the advancing Charlie Brier.

Charlie Frost shot across the face of the Town goal and Jack Sloan blasted well over as Trafford sought a way back into the game and their cause was helped just before half-time when Tom Hampton was sent off for a second cautionable offence.

This should have spurred the visitors into action but they were punished once more for their lethargy when Town were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Trafford penalty area, Brier flung himself to his right to parry the initial shot, but Max McCarthy followed up to volley the rebound inside the right hand upright.

A deep cross by Kyle Worsley was headed just wide by Charlie Frost in the 50th minute but just two minutes later more calamitous play by Tom Baker’s side saw Worsley lose possession on the half-way line, Kieran Knapper speed past Ollie Southern down the left and Max McCarthy net simply from six yards following Knapper’s piercing low cross.

Trafford continued to give the ball away carelessly and frequently but six minutes into stoppage time a high ball was played into the Town penalty area and home keeper Dave Parton bundled into substitute striker Prosper Imar. Ollie Southern stepped forward to take the resultant penalty but saw his weak effort pushed to safety by Parton, and seconds later the final whistle signalled the end of a season Trafford will want to forget.

After seventeen years in the Northern Premier League they will now ply their trade in the North West Counties Football League although that will mean that they have far more local fixtures against the likes of Irlam Town, West Didsbury and Chorlton, Wythenshawe Town and Prestwich Heys.