Glapwell 2-1 Matlock Town
Matlock slipped to a disappointing defeat in their latest friendly outing as the new UniBond League Premier Division campaign draws ever closer.
Glapwell, who missed out on the UniBond Division One South play-offs by a solitary goal at the end of last term and included four former Gladiators in goalkeeper Andy Richmond, full back Spencer Commons,midfielder Matt Varley and winger Mark Smith, just about deserved their victory, for after going ahead when 44 years old striker Neil Grayson bagged his second goal in the 57th minute, Matlock seldom looked like finding a leveller.
What the game probably proved to manager Mark Atkins more than anything is that he needs his "big" players fit an available. Without Steve Warne and Liam King, Matlock failed to stamp any real authority in midfield in the second half. James Lukic came off with tendonitis at the interval, probably more as a precaution, and Dene Cropper came off wth what is hopefully a minor knock shortly before the half time whistle.
There was a new face between the posts due to Paul Pettinger's knee injury which may even require surgery. Adam Sollitt, formerly with Kettering Town and last season Gainsborough Trinity, came in, and in truth had little to do and certainly could not be faulted for either goal.
Glapwell had most of the play early on but in a game of few clear cut opportunities, it was Matlock who nearly drew first blood in the 12th minute whe Richmond did well to clear a deflected Lee Featherstone header from Ian Clarke's corner. Then in a scramble followng a free kick, Richmond was again in the thick of the action as he thwarted Scott Brough.
But Matlock did strike after a quarter of an hour with a well constructed goal.Clarke found Featherstone out on the left for the former Ilkeston defender to deliver a delicious centre for ROSS HANNAH to plant a precise stooping header past Richmond.
The Gladiators' joy was shortlived though as within two minutes the hosts had equalised. Making ground up the slope on the right, Smith slotted the ball across for the totally unattended GRAYSON to convert the easiest of chances from ten yards.
Matlock came again to earn a free kick which Hannah wasted but the ball broke for Adam Yates whose cross was just out of Cropper's radar. The tall striker then had a goal disallowed on 33 minutes after Featherstone had returned another Yates centre back across the six yard box. That was virtually Cropper's last contribution of a rain soaked afternoon, with Nathan Benger joining the action with a minute of the opening half remaining.
The second half was a virtual non event as far as Matlock were concerned and once they had fallen behind in he 57th minute when GRAYSON produced a neat and tidy finish past an exposed Sollitt after Ryan Goward's ball in from the left, the writing was very much on the wall.
Richmond was virtually redundant as Town created little. A header by Benger from Paul Riley's cross was deflected wide as Glapwell prerved their advantage with relative comfort. The experienced Glapwell central defensive pairing of Steve Kennedy and Chris Timmons marshalled their side well from the back as they earned what will be a confidence boosting victory.
Atkins though was not pleased with his troops after witnessing a tepid second half display after
what had been a reasonably satisfactory first period.
MATLOCK TOWN: Sollitt, Yates, Pendleton, Thorpe, Laight, Lukic, Brough, Clarke, Cropper, Hannah, Featherstone Subs: Stratford, Buxton, Foyle, Benger, Riley, Wood, Cartwright, Davies.
REFEREE: H Kerianikov-Mansfield. ATTENDANCE: 100 est.
