Trafford produced a woeful performance on Saturday to fall to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of relegation-threatened Atherton Collieries.
On a difficult and uneven playing surface, the hosts adapted superbly and took the lead after just six minutes when a weak punch by Sam Booth following a free kick from the left allowed Danny Lafferty the simplest of tasks in netting from eight yards.
Joe Edwards twice went close to doubling Colls lead, cracking a 20 yard drive just wide in the 20th minute and five minutes later flashing a shot into the side-netting from 15 yards.
Home keeper Sol Honor was a virtual spectator for much of the first period but was called into action in the 28th minute when he pushed a long range effort from Toba Obitayo past his right hand upright.
Four minutes later Colls struck again and once more it was from a free kick from the left hand side, Joe Piggott rising the highest to head the ball past Booth and into the bottom corner.
Colls danger-man Aaron Dwyer thought he had made it three just before the interval when he broke clear and pushed the ball past Booth but fortunately for Trafford, the assistant referee ruled that he was marginally offside.
The second half opened with both teams giving the ball away repeatedly and it wasn’t until the 63rd minute that there was an attempt on goal, Trafford midfielder Cian Donohue heading over from 10 yards following a free kick from the right.
Colls were proving to be physically superior to a Trafford side in which Jerome Wright and Kevin Spinelli were the only players to emerge with any credit, and Karl Marginson showed his frustration by making all five substitutions in that second period.
Aaron Dwyer broke clear in the 80th minute but was denied by a brave save at point blank range by Sam Booth but just a minute later Booth made an uncharacteristic error when he allowed a low drive from the edge of the penalty area by Dwyer to squirm under his body and make it 3-0.
Two minutes later the scoring was completed when a neat move down the left ended with a low cross that substitute Tom Bentham expertly guided into the far corner.
A Matty Lusakueno shot from the edge of the penalty area was deflected wide and Honor’s only save during that dour second half came in the 90th minute when Jerome Wright saw his low drive comfortably held.
Despite this defeat, Trafford remain just six points outside the NPL West Division play-off’s whilst victory for Colls moves them three points clear of the relegation zone.
Marginson’s Men will be desperate to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they travel to play Wythenshawe FC, kick off 3 p.m.