Time looked to be running out for Matlock on Saturday as visiting Worksop looked as if they would pull off a rare away win at the Reynolds Stadium.
But the match is never over until the final whistle sounds and the Gladiators found their equaliser and a deserved point with their last throw of the dice.
Trailing to former Gladiator Jamie Jackson's 55th minute goal, Matlock won a corner on the right with the match three minutes into added time. Chris Bettney, with his customary accuracy, floated in an inviting ball and MICKY HARCOURT thumped home a power packed header for a dramatic equaliser. Worksop goalkeeper Jon Worsnop got his hands to it, but the ferocity of the header was just too much for him. It gave the match it's right outcome.
Mark Atkins made just one change from the team which beat Hednesford in the FA Trophy. A change in formation to 4-4-2 saw T J Nightingale recalled, with Gareth Davies dropping to the bench. Nathan Joynes had to sit out altogether after a knee injury picked up in training.
Defences bossed the opening exchanges with opportunities being in the half chance category.Nightingale, who worked hard all afternoon but lacked that extra bit of quality, ran beyond the Tigers back four to cross low for the stretching Liam King in the 5th minute, but the midfielder scooped a difficult chance wide. Then at the other end, Jon Kennedy, playing against Worksop for the first time since his summer move from Sandy Lane, was perfectly positioned to hold a firmly struck twenty two yarder from former Chesterfield midfielder Mark Hudson.
Massiah Mcdonald's left wing cross saw Ash Burbeary's deflected shot fall kindly for Kennedy and although giant on loan striker Grant Allott managed to get his head to a Burbeary cross, it was never going to cause any trouble as James Lukic, again a tower of strength for the hosts, had the situation well under control.
Nightingale could have put his stamp on proceedings with two opportunities late in the first half. Harcourt found him clear with a long searching pass, but the striker's ball control let him down and as quickly as the chance came, it disappeared disappointingly. Then Bettney was the provider but Nightingale was quickly closed down by Luke Shiels, and although he managed a shot, there was no power in it and Worsnop was able to gather easily.
The half ended with Lukic scrambling away a Burbeary cross and the contest delicately poised. The first goal, one felt, would be pivotal.
Matlock set about their task in the second half with commendable gusto, pinning the Tigers back. Ian Holmes flicked a header narrowly wide in the 49th minute and then Nightingale tried to play him clear with an intelligent through pass shortly afterwards but the offside flag brought the move to a premature end. Worsnop then spectacularly clawed away a twenty five yard cracker from Steve Warne, but there was a sting in the tail for Matlock as Worksop grabbed the ead against the run of the early second half play.
Kennedy and lukic combined to block Burbeary's shot but from an acute angle JACKSON fired the loose ball into the opposite bottom corner. Worksop, unbeaten under their new boss Simon Clark, looked as if they were going to give their manager another outstanding result.
Worsnop was sharply off his line to dive at Nightingale's feet and then in the 68th minute, Bettney found nightingale with a low centre as Matlock sought a reply but the finish again had no power.
Matlock had to be wary of a strongTtigers outfit bearing their teeth again. Substitute Sam Duncum, a thorn in Matlock's side at previous clubs Ilkeston and Eastwood, forced Kennedy into a fine save to stop a second Worksop strike in the 79th minute while six minutes later both Allott and Massiah McDonald had shots blocked.
A Matlock goal did not look as though it would come but they won that late, late corner, three minutes over the statutory ninety, and Harcourt's first Matlock goal could not have come at a better time. His one tinge of regret though will come from an earlier booking which will keep him out of the big FA trophy tie with Hyde on November 26.
MATLOCK TOWN: Jon Kennedy, Micky Harcourt, Oscar Radford, Liam King, Adam Yates, James Lukic, Chris Bettney, Steve Warne (Gareth Davies 72), Ian Holmes, TJ Nightingale, Ben Algar. Other subs: Kris Bowler, Kris Witcombe, Ben Hunter, Nick Buxton.
REFEREE: M Dexter--Leicester ATTENDANCE: 430 STAR MAN: James Lukic
