"Judge us in our league games" was the message from Matlock Town joint boss Gareth Williams after disappointing results against UniBond First Division South opposition in their final two pre season friendly fixtures. The Gladiators were deservedly beaten 2-0 at Quorn on Saturday before on Tuesday night, Matlock squandered a 3-0 interval lead at Shepshed Dynamo, having to be content with just a 3-3 draw. "We've had better pre seasons results wise" Williams admitted "But we're looking forward to the season. The pre season has seen us give as much time on the field as possible to as many of the squad as possible in the seven games we've had. But judge us when we're playing in the league."

Williams may have a point for as his managerial partner Phil Brown pointed out "I'm certain we'd have won the Shepshed game had we not made so many changes and kept the side as it was." Williams, in sole charge at Quorn due to Brown being ill, agreed that the performance had been poor on Saturday. "I was very disappointed with our display as we never got going, but it would be more worrying if it had been
a league game. Having said that you want to win every game you play and I just felt there was no spark." So when Matlock led 3-0 at the interval at the Dovecote in midweek through strikes from James Lukic, Gary Webster and Glenn Kirkwood, it
looked as if they had well and truly put the Quorn defeat behind them. "The response from the players in the first half was just what we were looking for after Saturday" said Brown. "We were unlucky to only be just three goals in front at half time . The most pleasing thing was the huge amount of chances we created in the game. In the second half one of our mistakes which we're trying to eradicate in our game led to their first goal. Then we made a few changes and our defending and marking went awry. The performance was generally good as there were more positives than negatives, but we were three nil up and the paper will say we only drew 3-3 which is disappointing but we can't argue with it."

The new UniBond season kicks off on Saturday but without Matlock, aiming to improve on last season's impressive fifth placed finish which saw them qualify for the play offs,missing out on the opening day following Scarborough's withdrawal from the league. Instead Matlock will train both tonight (Thursday) and on Saturday morning before facing Lincoln United at the Geoquip Stadium in their first game on Tuesday night (7-45 pm). They go into the game with one or two injury scares, the most worrying probably being Dene Cropper who limped off after a heavy challenge half an hour into the match at Shepshed. "Its not his cruciate" said a relieved Brown. "Its a sore knee joint. We were told that there might be some fluid on the knee and he'd have one or two aches and pains after his workload of playing and training. He tried to run it off but it was troubling him so we brought him off more as a precaution than anything. He was sore from Saturday but said he could do half a game but it proved to be too much, so by bringing him off earlier, it's given him every opportunity of being right for the Lincoln game."

Paul Riley and Steve Taylor are the other concerns. "Riles has a problem with a muscle in his bottom. Hopefully he's just tweaked it so he'll be okay in four or five days but if its a pull, it could be two to three weeks. Steve's strained a medial ligament and was seeing a physio on Tuesday. Hopefully it'll be good news but we'll know more later in the week."
The Gladiators first home league game last season was against Lincoln, exactly a year ago when second half goals from Ian Holmes and Simon Barraclough gave them a 2-0 victory. They will be looking for the same outcome this time, but United have had a big change of personnel with former Hucknall boss John Ramshaw replacing John Wilkinson in the managerial hotseat. Wilkinson has rejoined Grantham taking a lot of the players with him.
"We expect them to give us a good game" said Brown, who given Town's injury niggles, might be a touch relieved that they sit out on the opening day. "From the injury point of view, at least it gives the niggles a little extra time to clear up, but equally we wouldn't have arranged the Shepshed match if we were playing on Saturday. We'll be playing catch up from the off. We want to get off to a good start and be up there challenging, but what's happened has happened and we've just got to get on with it."

Brown and Williams, along with club officials, will be speaking to the fans at a Fans Forum in the Social Club thursday which follows the Supporters Club AGM which gets under way at 7-30 pm. On Friday the under 19's have an attractive friendly against Sheffield Wednesday at the Geoquip Stadium (7pm). Admission prices are £2 adults, £1 oap's and children. Matlock have signed goalkeeper Martin Taylor as cover to regular custodian Andy Richmond. Taylor will sign on a dual registration basis, and like young midfielder Spencer Goff, will go to Staveley to get valuable first team football. Jonathan Loukes, who would have been at Staveley on the same basis has joined Selby Town while striker Nathan Benger looks as if he might be on his way to Spalding United. Benger came off the substitute's bench to score a second half brace in the Tulips 4-1 Lincolnshire Trophy victory at Lincoln United last weekend.

LUCRATIVE SPONSORSHIP DEAL RENEWED
The Rifkind Levy Partnership (RLP) will be sponsoring Matlock Town for a second season with both the first team shirts and those of their under 19 squad bearing the Matlock Spa logo. Matlock Spa is the name of the new residential development planned for the site of the former Cawdor Quarry area of the town. The access to the
residential development is to be provided by the diversion of the A6 road and the new road bridge currently under construction. The cost of the infrastructure is being jointly paid for by Sainsbury's with a new Sainsbury's store being built and the RLP.
The work is expected to be completed by the Autumn and the plans for the first phase of the Matlock Spa development are well advanced, with the new homes being built over a period of time. A boost for the local population is that Matlock Spa will also be financially supporting the Prince's Trust in order to provide employment opportunities in the area.

Spokesman for RLP Eifion Phillips commented "Matlock Spa is pleased to be associated with Matlock Town and to provide local support hoping that last year's encouraging signs will be fulfilled in the coming season." Gladiators Vice Chairman and Commercial Manager Tom Wright was delighted with the news. "We'd like to thank the directors at the RLP for their support once again. We feel that the club as a whole made great strides last season coming within a whisker of success on three fronts and we sincerely hope that we can land a trophy this season. Sponsorship like this is vital to a club at our level and we hope that with the tremendous backing from
the RLP we can repay their support and faith in Matlock Town FC".