The opening Gladiators / Bucks derby of the campaign ended with honours even, and that was just about right with both sides' leading scorers finding the target in a well contested game.
Buxton had the better of the opening half and Mark Reed's 24th minute opener looked as if it could well earn them a third successive league success against their old rivals.
But some half time words of wisdom from manager Mark Atkins were the prelude to a Matlock recovery which saw Ross Hannah net on61 minutes and then miss a brace of glorious chances to turn the game on its head,
Matlock brought in Ben Algar for Danny Wood in the solitary change to the line up beaten at Frickley on Saturday. The visitors wee without former Frickley striker Lee Morris, injured in thei Bucks impressive 3-0 humbling of FC United of Manchester.
The first action saw Nathan Joynes booked for a stray arm on Gregg Anderson in the 6th minute, but two minutes later the Town striker nearly put his team in front only for Scott Hartley to push away his scrambled close-in effort from Algar's low left wing cross.
But Buxton were settling by far the better. They were first to the ball in all areas as Matlock had to defend stoutly. Adam Yates and James Lukic were in particularly fine form as the ball kept on coming back on the home defence toomany times for comfort.
Reed beat Sollitt to head a Grant Black centre well wide and then skipper Michael Towey headed into the sidenetting at the far post from a Black free kick on the right.
Buxton maintained the aerial assault as Anderson headed disappointingly and comfortably wide from a corner before Matlock were finally undone when REED turned far too easily on a low ball in from Steve Ridley and his shot seemed to go through Sollitt. All in all, a bad goal for the hosts to concede.
Hannah lifted a free kick a foot over the bar and Jordan Hall pulled a weak shot wide as Matlock looked for a way back.But all too often Matlock were hoisting the ball forward, and with the likes of Hannah receiving precious little decent service, it was playing into Buxton's hands.
There was encouragement for Matloock with an Algar header which flew straight at Hartley before Sam Liversidge made the booking count equal when he brought down Steve Warne. Algar then floated in a more teasing cross from the left which came within a whisker of finding Hannah's head.
The half ended with a Scott Maxfield free kick from distance, quickly taken, which had Sollitt back pedalling before it dipped inches over the bar before Morris' replacement, Cayne Hanley dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box.
The instructions from Bucks boss John Reed were obviously to try and get a quick second goal and when Matlock failed to deal effectively with a corner on the left, Hanley struck the bar from point blank range. Then Sollitt pulled off a tremendous diving stop low to his left to keep out a Reed header, all this coming in the opening five minutes of the new half.
But Matlock found their feet and Yates found himself crowded out when a shot was the preferred option as he surged goalwards from deep. The first break ended with Liam King's twenty yarder drifting well wide.
Nathan Benger replaced the ineffective Jordan Hall and suddenly Matlock looked more potent. Hartley was excellent in keeping out a Hannah shot and a King header in quick succession but it was third time lucky when HANNAH found space in the penalty box to fire just inside Hartley's left hand post for his 25th goal of a productive campaign.
Benger and Yates were combining superbly on the right as Buxton were now on the back foot. Joynes diverted a Benger cross inches wide and then left kicking fresh air after his header from a penetrating ball in from the by-line had been charged down.
King had a couple of shots blocked before Haran met a corner with a thumping header which Hannah did his best to divert in with a deft back header which narrowly cleared the bar.
Reed became the third and final booking for referee Bell for an 88th minute trip on Warne, before his side produced a late rally in a last ditch bid to take all three points home with them. Optimistic appeals for a penalty when Towey went down in a tussle with Scott Brough were waved away. Matlock had to face two corners, but dealt with both competently before the final whistle shrilled with both sets of fans reasonably happy with the outcome.
MATLOCK TOWN: Adam Sollitt, Adam Yates, Scott Brough, Liam King, Mark Haran, James Lukic, Jordan Hall (Nathan Benger 52), Steve Warne, Nathan Joynes, Ross Hannah, Ben Algar. Subs not used: Danny Wood, Dene Cropper, Josh Wain, Nick Buxton.
BUXTON: Scott Hartley, Grant Black, Tommy Agus, Sam Liversidge, Gregg Anderson, Scott Maxfield, Kieron Lugsden (Neil Stevens 88), Michael Towey (Christian Millar 90), Mark Reed, Cayne Hanley (Joe Wilcox 67), Steve Ridley. Subs not used: Charlie Vize.
REFEREE: M Bell--Rotherham ATTENDANCE: 477 STAR MAN: Adam Yates.
