The width of the Christ Church Meadow crossbar kept Matlock's FA Cup hopes alive as they struggled to find any rhythm against Hereward United Counties League Premier Division Sleaford on Saturday.
The Gladiators had again left their shooting boots back in the dressing room, and with the tie entering its last four minutes, substitute Tom Siddons lobbed goalkeeper Adam Sollitt, and Matlock breathed a huge sigh of relief as the ball bounced off the bar and was scrambled clear.
Matlock, though had squandered some good chances again, but Sleaford's battling qualities earned them a deserved second bite of the cherry. Gladiators boss Mark Atkins must be tearing his hair out with his side's inconsistency. Having put in a magnificent performance in Tuesday 1-1 draw at Boston United, how could they turn in such a laboured showing in the world's most famous domestic cup competition just four days later?
Atkins recalled Jamie Jackson to the starting line up as Danny Wood was ruled out, Jackson partnering Dene Cropper in attack, this being the one change from the Boston game. Ross Hannah's abductor strain had cleared sufficently to see him on the substitutes bench.
Sleaford had the first meaningful attack forcing a corner from which full back Tom Waqrd headed wide but the Gladiators themselves soon won a couple of flag kicks of their own, the second one being headed goalwards by Mark Haran with Cropper flicking past an upright.
Kris Jones did well to cut out a searching Jackson cross with Cropper hovering, but Matlock had a decent scoring opportunity on 14 minutes when Gareth Daviesswung over a corner from the right and Haran stabbed wide from 15 yards. Davies then saw a goalbound shot charged down before driving fiercely but narrowly over from the edge of the box.
Cropper turned well but his shot lacked power and direction as portly goalkeeper Andrew Scott saved comfortably. The half ended with Ben Algar firing a good six yards wide. Matlock needed to increase the tempo in the second half, for it was as if they felt they just had to turn up to win the game.
The improvement was there after the interval and Liam King will be disappointed at lifting a shot from the edge of the box well too high after Jackson had pulled the ball back invitingly from the right. Jackson then fired wide in the 57th minute, but three minutes later came the breakthrough which ought have been the signal for Matlock to put the tie to bed. JACKSON ran on to a simple but effective through ball from King to slide a low finish under Scott.
But the lkead lasted just four minutes as the ball was hoofed forward, and after a deflection off Lukic's head, MILES HUNTER raced clear to shoot fiercely over Sollitt's head and into the roof of the net.
Cropper was off target from long range before Matlock sent on Hannah for Algar, who for once, had struggled to make an impact. But even the leading marksman could not wave the magic wand. With virtually his first touch, he found himself with a great chance, only to slice frustratingly wide from eight yards. Then Jackson latched on to a Cropper flick on only for Jones to save the day for the Lincolnshire lads with a last gasp intervention. From the corner, the ball skidded across the danger area and Hannah headed into the sidenetting.
After their late great escape, Matlock still might have won it as Jackson's shot was deflected wide from a Lee Featherstone centre and then at the death, Lukic headed a Davies free kick back across goal and was just out of the reach of the stretching Cropper.
But Sleaford had shown resilience and Matlock now knew, if they didn't beforehand, that they would have to show a marked improvement in Tuesday's replay. Saturday's display was not just good enough.
MATLOCK TOWN: Sollitt, Brough, Featherstone, King, Haran, Lukic, Warne, Davies, Cropper, Jackson, Algar (Hannah 66) Other subs: Yates, Thorpe, Cartwright, Buxton.
REFEREE: M Leslie--Nottingham ATTENDANCE: 155 STAR MAN: Mark Haran.
