Visitors stroll to victory - TRAFFORD 1 v 4 AFC Fylde
Visitors AFC Fylde strolled to victory at Shawe View on Saturday boosted by one of the quickest goals of the season.
Following two magnificent victories at Clitheroe and Chorley, expectations were high amongst the Trafford faithful but they made a disastrous start when, after just 25 seconds, Fylde's flying winger Michael Barnes sped down the left and crossed for Tom Cahill to net from ten yards.
Within a minute Trafford had a great chance of an equaliser but Tom Bentham shot weakly from close range and Lewis Edge saved.
Fylde assumed control of the midfield with Barnes firing wide from 25 yards and Rick Mercer misdirecting a back post header when in acres of space on the right.
In the 24th minute the visitors doubled their advantage when Matt Mahoney rounded off a superb move with an exquisite finish into the top corner past the helpless Greg Hall.
And in the 38th minute the points were all but sealed when another slick move ended with Cahill holding off a challenge by Liam Wheeler and cooly clipping the ball past the advancing Hall.
As half time approached Cahill squandered a great opportunity to complete his hat-trick when he completely miskicked in front of goal.
Trafford were a shadow of the team that had defeated second placed Chorley on Tuesday night and they fell 4-0 behind in the 58th minute when Barnes and Mahoney linked superbly with the latter nonchalantly lifting the ball over the despairing dive of Greg Hall.
In the 70th minute Trafford's day went from bad to worse when midfielder Joe Shaw was shown the red card following a challenge on Mercer but despite this, the ten men battled gallantly to the end.
Substitute Kyle Harrop just failed to connect with a John Buckley through ball and Tom Bentham sliced a shot well wide from fifteen yards.
In the final minute Harrop managed to reduce the arrears when his cross-cum-shot flew past Edge into the top corner but this consolation goal failed to hide the fact that Trafford had been so lacklustre and lacking in both commitment and creativity.
Trafford will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they travel to Bamber Bridge on Tuesday night, kick off 7-45 p.m., and then on Saturday they make the short journey to promotion hopefuls Curzon Ashton for a 3 p.m. kick off.
