Matlock Town 2-5 Chesterfield.
A three goal blast from the Spireites in the opening 18 minutes ensured that the Banner Jones Cup stayed at Saltergate as Chesterfield clinically punished some overgenerous defending from the Gladiators.
After winning their opening two friendly games, Matlock found Chesterfield different proposition altogether and they were taught a harsh lesson about strong and confident defending as the visitors found it all too easy to bear down on home goalkeeper Paul Pettinger in the opening half.
In fact Matlock could have done with the diggers present on the Dene Fields side of the ground for the New Stand project to help protect their goal as the score may well have read something like 6-2 to Chesterfield come the interval instead of 3-0.
After Scott Boden had driven into the sidenetting on 4 minutes, he then turned provider with a teasing cross from the right which MARTIN GRITTON gleefully headed past a unprotected Pettinger two minutes later.
And when the busy Chesterield midfield forced Matlock into errors midway inside the hosts half, Paul Harsley's inch perfect through pass was well finished by JORDAN BOWERY to double the lead by the 9th minute.
There was a glimmer of hope for Matlock when Ross Hannah's neat turn saw him shoot narrowly off target and then Danny Wood screwed his shot past the near post after neat link up play on te left with Danny Davidson.
But it was game well and truly over by the 18th minute with James Lukic struggling to clear his lines, BOWERY help himself to his second of the night as he calmly fired home.
The non leaguers had a gilt edged chance to cut the deficit almost immediately when Danny Hall tripped Hannah but after a minute's delay, Hannah saw his spot kick well kept out by evergreen Spireites custodian Mark Crossley.
Gritton had three chances to totally embarrass Matlock before the half time whistle sounded and shorly after the restart, Bowery came within a lick of paint of completing his hat-trick as his low curling effort rebounded off the inside of a post with Pettinger well beaten .
Home substitute Nathan Benger ought to have done better than nod wide from a delightful Steve Warne cross from the right but Chesterfield made it four in the 79th minute when BOWDEN's lightening pace saw him sprint past Ryan Laight and finish with aplomb.
Withina furher minute, JACK LESTER's magnificent chipped finish gave the Spireites a nap hand before BENGER gave the scoreline an air of respectability with two excellent srike on 83 and 85 minutes. Shortly afterwards a brlliant flowing Malock move ended with Dene Cropper's low shot bouncing inches wide.
The match had provided some fine entertainment with both sides contributing. Matlock will need to heed the lesson of tight defending while Chesterfield can move into their season with confidence if their impressive pre season form can continue.
MATLOCK TOWN: Pettinger, Brough, Featherstone, Thorpe, Yates, Lukic, Wood, Warne, Davidson, Hannah, Clarke. Subs--Cartwright, Laight, Cropper, Benger, Riley, Davies
CHESTERFIELD: Crossley, Picken, Page, Hall, Goodall, Boden, Kerry, Currie, Harsley, Gritton, Bowery. Subs--Malak, Lowery, Austin, Breckin, Robertson, Gray, Niven, Lester.
REFEREE: Rob Shoebridge--Ripley. ATTENDANCE: 970.
