TRAFFORD'S inconsistent start to the season continued last week when, after a superb 3-2 midweek victory at Workington Town, they fell to a crushing 4-1 defeat at the hands of Gretna at Shawe View on Saturday.

After a fairly uneventful opening, the visitors took the lead in the 25th minute when Ryan Errington beat the Trafford offside trap and clipped the ball neatly over the advancing Mark Molyneaux.

Trafford were hampered by injuries to defenders, Paul Varley and Lee Southwood and fell further behind in the 38th minute when Gretna's Mark Dobie crossed from the left and Craig Smart headed home from close range.

A minute before the interval, Trafford reduced the arrears when a deep cross by Joe Quinn was headed back across the face of the goal by Anthony Hogan and Peter Weston nipped in to nod the ball home from six yards.

The Shawe View men were on top in the early stages of the second half and Chris Patterson saw two shots blocked by the hard pressed Gretna defence.

In the 65th minute visitors broke downfield and Mark Dobie rounded Molyneaux but fired wide from an acute angle.

Smart then fired over the crossbar as Gretna once again seized the initiative and Matt Henney made it 3-1 in the 85th minute when he broke clear of the ailing Trafford defence and knocked the ball coolly past Molyneaux.

Trafford's misery was completed in the 90th minute when Henney once again caused the damage, firing in from the edge of the penalty area with the home defence in disarray.

Trafford will be hoping to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they travel to play Ossett Town and then on Tuesday they entertain Kendal Town in a Unibond League Division One fixture at Shawe View, Pennybridge Lane, kick off 7.45pm.

Trafford ...................1

Gretna ....................4