CURZON ASHTON 3-1 MATLOCK TOWN
Opportunity knocked for several fringe players to stake a claim to be included in the Gladiators starting line up come Saturday week with a quintet of their senior players missing through injury and holidays.
Sadly though, many let that opportunity pass them by as Matlock were comfortably beaten by a Curzon side, beaten in the the UniBond First Division North Play Off Final by Newcastle Blue Star at the end of last season.
Matlock began well enough in a competitive start to proceedings when chances were at a minimum. Curzon then had the first sniff of an opportunity in the 13th minute but Liam King, back off holiday and one of the few plus points for the Gladiators, timed his block to perfection to charge away Phil Edghill's shot on the edge of the box.
But Matlock had a great chance just three minutes later as Nathan Benger headed back a faulty goal kick from Hayden Buckley-Smith, straight into the path of Ross Hannah, who uncharacteristically sliced a hurried shot wide.
That miss did not appear to matter too much as within a further sixty seconds the Gladiators took the lead as HANNAH collected possession from an unsure looking home defence to blast in a fierce twenty yarder which the fledgling Buckley-Smith could only help over the line.
Scott Brough, starting the match at left back before reverting to his usual right back slot for the second half,had to be alert to mop up after a crazy throw from Danny Wood had put young Darren Cartwright in trouble.
Then there was promise on the break for Matlock as Paul Riley burst down the left on to a fine crossfield pass from Ryan Laight and his fiercely driven cross was just out of Hannah's reach.
But Matlock's defensive problems are so often self inflicted through a lack of concentration and Ashley Foyle was guilty of allowing Curzon scoring machine Michael Norton to get the wrong side of him, then being relieved to stretch and clear with difficulty.
Curzon took control with three goals in the last seventeen minutes of the opening half. NORTON started the recovery off, although Joe Storer looked to have been nudged in the back by Andrew Lundy as he attempted to head clear. The ball sat up for Norton who gave Nick Buxton no chance with a searing, rising sixteen yard drive.
Wood might have done better than drag a weak shot wide after Hannah had found him three minutes later, but at the other end, Matlock were allowing Curzon far too much time and space and a warning wasn't heeded when Buxton did well to hold on to a well struck twenty five yarder from midfielder Chris Worsley.
On 38 minutes the visitors were behind as again, the Gladiators inability to close down effectively on he edge of their box saw DARRYL WESTON thread a low twenty two yard shot past Buxton's right hand andjust inside the post.
NORTON headed a left wing cross from Michael O'Connor wide before on the stroke of half time, he added a third. Criminally he was left totally unattended to power in a header from eight yards following a free kick on the left.
Town came close to reducing ther deficit five minutes after the resumption when Riley's excellent cross was met by a thumping header from Nathan Benger which Buckley-Smith spectacularly tipped over the bar.
Changes included the withdrawal of Hannah, worryingly with a suspected thigh strain as Matlock never really threatened to save the game. Curzon continued to holdthe upper hand as indecision in the Matlock rearguard continued, and the lack of talking, except from assistant boss Buxton, was baffling.
Mark Atkins was not a happy man afterwards. The fringe players cannot say they have not had their chance. They needed to accept some form of responsibility in a match arranged to give them a good test. Too many came up short.
MATLOCK TOWN: Buxton, Brough, Storer (Featherstone 46), Cartwright (Davies 46), Foyle, Laight, Wood, King, Benger, Hannah (Yates 62), Riley (Thorpe 68).
REFEREE: P Graham--Manchester. ATTENDANCE: 100 est.
