Matlock were comfortably beaten by title chasing Bradford who completed a league double over the Gladiators for the second successive season.
For the Gladiators it was a fourth consecutive defeat in league and cup and manager Mark Atkins will want to arrest the slump quickly now.
For the second Saturday in a row, Matlock finished with ten men. This time substitute Ben Algar saw red after an 88th minute flare up with Jamie Price whose over reaction in falling theatrically to the floor would have convinced referee Ryan Newman to brandish the red card in Algar's direction. Remarkably though Price only received a yellow, while even more mystifyingly there were bookings for Town's Mark Haran, Steve Warne and Nathan Benger, and with Bradford players also in the thick of the melee, no yellow cards issued to their players.
Up to then, the game had been played in a good spirit with Bradford clearly the better side, and they ended up as deserved winners.
Matlock had been hoping to include a new midfielder but talks broke down on Thursday night, so Steve Warne and Liam King continued in the centre with Darren Cartwright and Lee Featherstone on the flanks. They named under 19 star Josh Wain on the bench, who is due at Lillieshall this week for four days of training in a bid to make the final squad for England Schools to face Australia at Shrewsbury Town on Sunday.
There were few chances in an even start, but the game swung Bradford's way on 22 minutes when nobody tracked midfielder ROB O'BRIEN who ran from deep to fire a low twenty yarder past the diving Adam Sollitt.
Bradford suddenly upped the tempo and Matlock clearly had not learned their lesson from the opening goal, when just five minutes later, O'Brien repeated the trick. But this time his shot from a similar distance flashed inches wide.
Steve Warne was putting in a great shift in midfield, even with a blood stained bandage and a blank shirt after a bang to the head. He was one of two Gladiators in the wars with Nathan Joynes also sporting the same headwear.
A James Knowles header from a corner, and an Aiden Savory header dropped wide before Savory fired straight at Sollitt when well placed. But SAVORY scored the first of his brace in the 40th minute, turning in Brice Tiani's knockdown from the back post after Martin Drury had crossed from the left.
The Avenue looked well set for a convincing victory. Matlock badly needed lifeline and they got it on the stroke of half time. Typically Ross Hannah was working his socks off again and after combining neatly with Lee Featherstone on the left, he pulled back a low cross which FEATHERSTONE, who had continued his run, forced in from close range.
Sadly for Matlock, the goal did not inspire them on to better things and in spite of having their fair share of the play, they seldom looked like staging a recovery.
Avenue goalkeeper Steve Dickenson did not have a serious shot to save as Matlock struggled to break down a calm and composed visiting defence.
Bradford looked the more dangerous when they went forward. Tiani headed wide from a Simon Baldry cross before Baldry set up the supporting full back Stephen Downes who curled a fine shot narrowly beyond Sollitt's back post. Tiani fired at Sollitt after a penetrating break down the left.
Algar was introduced for Scott Brough with twenty minutes remaining as Featherstone reverted to full back, but still Matlock never looked as if they would pull the game out of the fire. And their hopes were quashed completely when substitute Chris Hall flicked on a long clearance to SAVORY who ran clear to lift a fine finish over Sollitt with twelve minutes to go.
Then came the late fracas which had both sets of fans shouting for the referee to apply some common sense, which was sadly lacking.
Bradford are the best of the title challengers that Matlock have faced. They have the experience, the know-how and the finance to march on to Blue Square North.
Matlock were disappointing after being unlucky in their previous two league defeats at Nantwich and North Ferriby. This defeat was not down to bad luck. Bradford were better in most departments and thoroughly deserved the win against a Matlock side, who, on the day, battled hard but looked short of ideas and were guilty of lapses in concenration.
MATLOCK TOWN: Adam Sollitt, Adam Yates, Scott Brough (Ben Algar 70), Liam King, Mark Haran, James Lukic, Darren Cartwright (Danny Wood 80), Steve Warne, Nathan Joynes (Nathan Benger 80), Ross Hannah, Lee Featherstone. Other subs: Josh Wain, Nathan Benger.
REFEREE: R Newman--Barnsley. ATTENDANCE: 309 STAR MAN: Steve Warne
