Matlock were well on track for a first victory since November 17 when they led Leek by two clear goals at the interval, but then the wheels came off as the rain teemed down, and Leek managed to scrape a point which had looked so unlikely at one stage.

 

Joint boss Phil Brown reckoned referee Ryan Newman changed the game. Certainly his ridiculous decision of a Leek penalty within ninety seconds of the restart and a card happy approach which took no account whatsoever of the greasy underfoot conditions, gave credence to Brown's viewpoint.

 

The Gladiators ended the game with ten men with Cameron Fearon getting first use of what would have been most welcome use of the hot showers for an innocuous challenge on Louis Briscoe which Mr Newman deemed worthy of a second yellow card. A good referee is rarely noticed, Mr Newman after a decent first half, wanted to take centre stage. A bit of consideration for the paying spectators plus some allowance for the players would not have gone amiss.

 

The penalty conversion certainly gave Leek heart and by the time LOUIS BRISCOE had levelled by the 65th minute, their fans might have thought that they deserved to be on equal terms, but they had been given a huge helping hand. Matlock had been sloppy in those opening twenty minutes of the second half but a couple of good changes by the Gladiators management team, which saw Glenn Kirkwood and Neil Ashley come on to add steel to the side, actually saw Matlock finish the stronger.

 

An unchanged Matlock starting eleven had gone in front on 16 minutes after an untidy opening in which the Gladiators had looked the more likely to find the breakthrough. Jamie Donnelly-Jackson crossed from the right and PAUL RILEY, who had swapped roles with Matty Caudwell to play further forward, found room some fifteen yards out to guide a splendid header beyond the diving Matt Cooper's flailing right hand. The best chance prior to then came when Cooper made a last ditch save to deny the onrushing Benger in the 7th minute.

 

There was a dicey moment for Matlock in the 23rd minute when Ryan Laight hacked a Dean Hopley effort off the line after Andy Richmond had failed to claim an Oliver Edwards cross, but Matlock looked generally comfortable and the feeling was that a second home goal would put the game to bed.

 

And the second goal came just seconds before the half time whistle after some near misses. The Gladiators ended the first period battering the Leek goal with Cooper saving well from Caudwell, and when the former Doncaster and Worksop winger crossed from the left, Benger powered a free header inches too high. A blocked drive from the hard working Benger kept Leek's deficit at 1-0, but the second goal arrived when Benger's fierce header from another Caudwell delivery crashed against the bar and BARRACLOUGH followed up to drill home the loose ball.

 

Leek altered from a 3-5-2 formation to a 4-4-2, replacing caretaker boss and central defender Wayne Johnson plus midfielder Karl Brown with Dan Thompson and Sam Wood. Matlock's plans to go forward and add further goals were immediately spoiled when Ryan Laight's seemingly innocuous challenge in which the Gladiators defender appeared to make little if any contact when dealing with Hopley on the corner of the eighteen yard box, saw Mr Newman point to the spot. Richmond got a hand to BRISCOE's penalty, but could not keep it out, and suddenly the game took on a different complexion.

 

Although James Lukic managed to direct a Riley free kick towards goal, there was no power in his effort and Leek began to gain the upper hand. The yellow card came out of Mr Newman's top pocket all too frequently. Leek skipper Anthony Danylyk struck Richmond's right hand post from distance before another controversial moment brought abvout Leek's 65th minute equaliser.

 

Fearon, already booked, challenged Briscoe, and Mr Newman excitedly went to his pocket yet again to brandish a second yellow and the inevitable red card. BRISCOE took the kick himself, and his shot was deflected on its route to goal to wrong foot Richmond and finish in the back of the net.

 

To their credit, Matlock not for the first time, looked more dangerous with a man less. They virtually stopped Leek from going forward with the Staffordshire side not creating another noteworthy chance, while at the other end, Barraclough was twice sent sprawling by injudicious challenges which could and should have resulted in at least one penalty award.

Deflected efforts from Kirkwood and Ashley fell conveniently safe for the visitors while Barraclough drove narrowly wide following a free kick and Donnelly-Jackson's efort was equally close, but over the bar.

 

Two vital points had gone astray and more importantly, the chance of a morale boosting victory in what is proving to be a frustrating time for the Gladiators. Leek came back well and made the most of their good luck with the refereeing decisions which proved to be key in the end result of a derby which was never dirty, but well competed.

 

MATLOCK TOWN: Richmond, Laight, Riley, Circuit, Fearon, Lukic, Webster, Donnelly-Jackson, Benger (Kirkwood 66), Barraclough, Caudwell (Ashley 69) Other sub: Francis.

 

REFEREE: R C Newman (Barnsley)   ATTENDANCE: 332  STAR MAN: Paul Riley.