Matlock took their fine February form which had brought them five wins and a draw out of six matches, into March by picking up three more points at Hurst Cross on Monday night.
Yet again it was top scorer Ross Hannah who grabbed the headlines, scoring both goals late on, to take the man of the match award away from Lee Featherstone, who along with the other Matlock defenders, had fine games.
This was a solid and unspectacular performance on a heavy bobbly pitch in a contest of few chances up to Hannah taking over. But Matlock worked hard as a unit and the late Hannah brace gave them their reward.
Manager Mark Atkins had no hesitation in saying "same again" with the starting eleven and the substitutes who had featured in Saturday's home victory against Whitby being named again.
The Gladiators made the bright start that Atkins likes as they pushed the Robins back early on. Hannah found Jordan Hall on the right whose cross was scrambled clear. Liam King then sliced well wide fro,m the edge of the box, a move he would repeat later in the first half. In between two free kicks from promising positions were wasted and when Ashton failed to clear their lines effectively, Hannah drove straight at goalkeeper Terry Smith.
But Ashton were intent on not being on the end of another 5-0 thrashing like they had been at Causeway Lane back in November. They worked their socks off in denying Matlock space and consequently the match became disjointed and scrappy. The hosts came more into the game as the half wore on. Haran rose well to thump a clearing header away from danger before Danny Egan saw his shot deflected for a corner.
The extravagantly named Ashton debutant, forward Clive Moyo-Modise, signed from Altrincham on Monday afternoon, cut in from the left but his shot lacked venom and was comfortably cleared. The final action of a disappointing half came when Matty O'Neill found himself in space on the right of the Gladiators penalty box, but could only prod a shot which trickled gently towards Adam Sollitt.
But five minutes into the second period, Ashton had the best chance yet, and it was out of nothing as Moyo-Modise struck the outside of the post with a surprise overhead attempt.
Hall tried to make inroads down the right but found the angle too tight as he drove behind.
Both sides were guilty of surrendering possession too easily and when the Gladiators gave the ball away in midfield, Adam Yates' great challenge on the industrious Egan snuffed out the danger as Ashton lumped the ball long into Matlock territory.
Ashton were having slightly the better of things but that changed with a quarter of an hour left as Hannah raced clear on to a long pass only to be unceremoniously dumped to the ground by Alex Frost's untidy challenge. It looked a good shout for a red card with Frost being the last defender, but Leeds based official Cedric Duval, originally from France, brandished the yellow. Afterwards he explained that he thought that Frost's full back partner Danny Caldecott was covering.
Any thoughts of Ashton escaping punishment though were soon dispelled by HANNAH who hammered the free kick low and true beyond Smith.
But the Gladiators needed a last ditch Mark Haran clearance five minutes later to stay in front. Sollitt swiftly left his line to meet a long ball but Egan nodded past him only for Town's assistant boss to save the day with a miraculous interception, using every inch of his six foot two inches frame to slide the ball off the line.
Matlock took full advantage of that let off to seal the match with a minute of the regulatory ninety remaining as an intricate King pass found HANNAH who drilled a firm low shot past Smith.
The Gladiators had secured their second league double of the campaign and left a ground where they have only won once previously in UniBond action with another good three points.
They rose to ninth and while results elsewhere later in the week might see them drop a place or two, its a far cry from just a month ago when they were teetering on the edge of the relegation zone.
MATLOCK TOWN: Adam Sollitt, Adam yates (Danny Wood 90), Lee Featherstone, Liam King, Mark Haran, James Lukic, scott Brough, Steve Warne, Nathan Joynes (Nathan Benger 90), Ross Hannah, Jordan Hall (Ben Algar 72). Other subs: Darren Cartwright, Nick Buxton.
Referee: C Duval--Leeds. ATTENDANCE: 148 STAR MAN: Ross Hannah.
