Leaders Northwich comfortably maintained their unbeaten away record as Matlock again put in a disappointing performance at the Reynolds Stadium last Saturday.
It was a display which was in direct contrast to the dominant show against the last table toppers to come to Derbyshire, Chorley, seven days earlier.
The Vics started as they meant to go on, forcing Matlock back, and with Jordan Johnson and Wayne Riley scoring within the opening half an hour, it looked as if the Gladiators would be in for a thrashing.
At least the Gladiators held their own in the second half,in spite of Micky Harcourt's harsh sending off, but they never looked like staging a recovery. Vics goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe had an easy afternoon and was not called into making one serious save.
Skipper James Lukic was ruled out with knee ligament trouble, so Oscar Radford partnered Adam Yates in central defence and Lee Featherstone returning at left back. Harcourt was fit and well again after illness forced him out of the midweek defeat at Nantwich.
Northwich immediately seized the initiative, they were quicker to the ball and their crisp passing and movement had Matlock chasing shadows.Johnson went down in the box but his penalty claims were optimistic at the very best.
Matlock's stand in skipper Liam King drove very high and wide in the 13th minute but virtually all of the pressure had come from Northwich and this was rewarded in the 15th minute.
JOHNSON found room at the back post to hammer an eight yard shot into the roof of the net from a right wing centre.
As Vics looked to quickly add to their lead, the impressive Riley had a shot charged down by Featherstone. Matlock were having to defend well and Radford was having a fine game. Tall centre forward Chris Budrys was a handful, physical and skilful, but Yates was competing well.
Nathan Joynes forced a corner as he latched on to a Ben Algar pass in a rare Matlock foray but nothing came of it.
Soon afterwards on 29 minutes, Matlock's already difficult task was made nigh on impossible, given how the game had progressed thus far.
Riley went down easily as Harcourt challenged some twenty yards out. Referee John Mayhew, whose performance was on par with that of Matlock's, awarded a free kick and booked Harcourt. RILEY stepped up to curl a magnificent shot direct into the top corner past the diving Jon Kennedy's right hand.
Chris Bettney was replaced by Kris Bowler as Town manager Mark Atkins attempted to address the visitors' dominance in midfield. Then more excellent play ended with Riley's fierce volley being deflected wide.
Riley had another free kick opportunity close by from where he had already netted but this time he lifted his shot too high.
Gareth Davies clattered into Dominic Collins and was rightly yellow carded before half time came with Riley flicking Budrys 'assist from a Lewis Short long throw over the bar.
Vics were immediately on the offensive again early in the second period. Kennedy did well to stop a header from Budrys and Featherstone was forced into conceding a corner.
There was then a let off for Matlock as Ian Kearney could only shoot weakly at Kennedy after Budrys had helped on midfielder Michael Roddy's forward pass.
Yates headed high over the bar from Bowler's cleverly flighted free kick before King had his name taken for a late challenge on Short.
Tom Field was the visitors' first caution, for an innocuous challenge on Featherstone. In the opening minutes he had clearly pulled back Algar and should have been booked, especially with Mr Mayhew awarding a free kick. He could so easily have been sent off for his second misdemeanour.
Then huge penalty shouts from Yates and Matlock were ignored when Kyle Armstrong sent the centre half sprawling.
Matlock won a free kick in a promising position but Davies shot straight into the wall before Harcourt was adjudged to have caught Short. Fans close to the incident maintained it was a fair challenge but significantly Mr Mayhew reacted when short stayed down. Two yellow cards equalled a red as Matlock's day went from bad to worse.
Radford tried to fashion a chance for himself with a quick turn but again a strong Vics defence closed in to block the shot.
Roddy joined the yellow card list for bringing down substitute T J Nightingale as Vics were in no mood to let Matlock back in the match.
Kennedy superbly tipped away a cracking effort from star man Riley who then hit the angle of bar and post from twenty yards.
Northwich's professional performance was far too good for Matlock who as Atkins admitted afterwards "had four or five players not at the races."
MATLOCK TOWN: Jon Kennedy, Micky Harcourt, Lee Featherstone, Liam King, Adam Yates, Oscar Radford, Chris Bettney (Kris Bowler 32), Nathan Joynes, Ian Holmes, Gareth Davies, Ben Algar (T J Nightingale 61). Other subs: James Knowles, Ben Hunter, Nick Buxton.
REFEREE: J D Mayhew (Dudley) ATTENDANCE: 377 STAR MAN: Adam Yates
