Matlock Town fans will be hoping for the best of Christmas presents with a home win over deadly rivals Buxton on Boxing Day (3 pm)--if the cold snap relents!
If the match gets the all clear, it will certainly be a case of attempted pay back time as the Bucks grabbed a hat-trick of victories inside two months towards the end of last season when both clubs were fighting against relegation.
In all, the teams met four times with Matlock's sole victory being a 3-2 extra time success in the UniBond League Challenge Cup at the Silverlands back in January.
Last year's scheduled New Years Day showdown at Causeway Lane was lost to the frost so Buxton travelled to Matlock on March 11 and recorded a comfortable 2-0 win in a match where Mark Atkins' troops never got going.
That result was bitter enough for Town fans to swallow, but if anything, the Silverlands meeting on Good Friday was even worse for them as Buxton cantered to a 4-1 win. That result looked like condemning the Gladiators to relegation, but Matlock then showed the fighting qualities lacking against Buxton to win their last three games and in the end, avoid the drop with something to spare.
The climax to the campaign came in the Derbyshire Senior Cup Final at Saltergate which Buxton edged 1-0, but could have turned out differently had Matlock taken their chances.
Atkins admits his side was second best this season and he threw down the gauntlet to his players to make amends, starting on Saturday.
"To be fair, Buxton had by far the better of the four games last season. In the two league games in particular, they certainly put us to the sword, they were far superior to us, we just didn't show up. We had chances in the Derbyshire Cup Final and if we'd taken them we'd have probably won that game."
Matlock, though look a much stronger unit this time around and are currently in a rich vein of form, having won their last four league games with the home FA Trophy defeat to Blue Square National Kidderminster Harriers being their only setback in twelve matches. The Bucks themselves have taken maximum points from their last four league outings.
"We can approach the game in confident mood and if we can continue playing like we've done in the last twelve or so matches, then there's nothing to fear" Atkins added.
"Buxton are a good strong side with a lot of good players but we're getting a good squad together with a nice nucleus of seventeen or eighteen players which are bonding together nicely, even with the few injuries we've had in recent weeks. And of course, it being a derby game, it means an awful lot to the fans and the players that were here last season will know that they let their fans down in the Buxton games and need to put things right. I'm hoping they'll go out and do just that."
Injuries and suspension are likely to have a say in Atkins' team selection for the derby with midfielder Liam King serving a one match ban after collecting five yellow cards and defender Lee Featherstone watching from the sidelines after it was confirmed he had broken a rib against Kidderminster. He is likely to be out for a fortnight. Slight doubts surround Simon Sturdy and James Lukic (both with groin strains), Ben Algar (hip) while Danny Wood needs to regain full match fitness after being named on the bench for the Kidderminster and Alfreton games after injury.
Last weekend's home date with Stocksbridge Park Steels was frozen off, with the midweek visit to Nantwich Town in the UniBond League Cup also looking doubtful at the time of going to press. If conditions fail to improve, with night time temperatures not forecast to exceed freezing point until Sunday, all of the Boxing Day pre match talk could prove to be academic.
"The weather's something that can't be helped so it's a matter of keeping up the lads' fitness levels as much as we can for that has been one of the main contributory factors of our recent good run" said Atkins.
If the Buxton game is off, Matlock are next in action at Nantwich Town on New Years Day in the UniBond League with Guiseley due at Causeway Lane on Tuesday January 5 in a match brought forward four days due to the Lions being in FA Trophy action at Blyth Spartans on Saturday January 9. Matlock now visit Marine on that day.
Matlock's reward for beating Alfreton in the Senior Cup is another home game against the winners of the outstanding quarter final between Long Eaton United and New Mills. Belper Town travel to either Buxton or Ilkeston Town in the other tie.
Meanwhile the UniBond League have confirmed that King's Lynn's results will be expunged from this season's records following the recent winding up of the Norfolk outfit. The Gladiators points total has therfore been reduced by three points following their 3-2 home victory on August 18. However, this is counter balanced by the wiping out of their 5-1 hammering at The Walks in October.
