A good battling performance saw the Gladiators frustrate table topping Northwich as they brought home a hard earned point from the Victoria Stadium.
Saturday's visit came just two weeks after the Vics had comprehensively beaten Matlock at the Reynolds Stadium and that was still fresh in the mind of Town chief Mark Atkins ahead of the match.
Atkins had clearly done his homework. In the first game, Matlock gave the Vics far too much time and space, and this theme was endemic in his team selection. He opted to employ Ian Holmes as a lone striker and he packed the midfield with James Knowles just in front of colleagues Ben Hunter, Steve Warne, Kris Bowler and Liam King.
James Lukic was a surprise inclusion, recalled alongside Adam Yates after missing the last two games with a knee ligament injury. Oscar Radford switched to right back, Ben Alga filling the other full back berth in place of the injured Lee Featherstone. Micky Harcourt missed out through suspension.
The first sniff of an opportunity came Matlock's way in the 8th minute when Holmes found Hunter with a neat pass but Hunter completely mis hit his strike which was neither a cross nor a shot, the ball drifting yards wide.
Northwich immediately won a free kick and Wayne Riley, who netted Vics second direct from a free kick in the 2-0 win in Derbyshire, this time saw Lukic block his shot. The Town skipper then produced an even better block to charge down a Jordan Johnson volley.
Jon Kennedy was in great form between the sticks and he did well to grab hold of a well struck Michael Roddy twenty yarder following an intelligent build up.
Northwich players were going to ground far too easily and young referee Neil Davies wasn't always fooled by their antics. But from one free kick award in the 27th minute, Kennedy produced a fantastic fingertip save to push a Chris Budrys header over the bar.
After being under pressure, Matlock might have gone in front on 31 minutes. Two Vics players collided and the ball was sprayed out to Holmes on the right whose low centre was just outside the supporting Liam King's radar. The midfielder could not get enough purchase on his attempt to force the ball home.
That incident led to Vics central defender Dominic Collins being taken off. The hosts roared back on to the attack and forced two quick corners. From the second Kennedy stretched to palm away and Riley, lurking with intent on the edge of the box volleyed fiercely over the bar.
Budrys managed to connect with a hard cross from full back Lewis Short which saw the ball flash too high. A measure of vics' dominance was that Matlock did not gain their first corner until the 42nd minute.
Their second came two minutes later and it nearly led to their downfall.
The hosts broke quickly and Algar looked to have the situation under control. But Wade robbed him to race clear, round Kennedy, but then shoot into the sidenetting as Yates galloped back to cover.
Vics were quickly out of the blocks after the interval and whn for once, the Gladiators midfield was found wanting, Tom Field had time and space to shoot but Kennedy was equal to his twenty yarder.
Hunter won a corner on the left but his delivery was poor and Lukic was always stretching as he diverted the ball well wide.
Radford hoofed clear after a scramble in the penalty box caused by a Riley free kick, with Kennedy grasping a follow up effort from Riley.
It was now a game of attack versus defence with Vics asking nearly all of the questions. But there was a resilience about Matlock who restricted them to few scoring opportunities in the remainder of the contest.
One of them came from another Algar slip as Field beat him before crossing for Budrys who headed over the bar.
Kennedy saved brilliantly from Wade in the 73rd minute when one of numerous Short long throws was unintentionally flicked on by James Knowles. Wade got his head to it and Kennedy's tip over was again top class.
Vics were being forced to shoot from distance and their attempts were becomingly increasingly wayward as frustration grew.
Holmes was working his socks off as the lone attacker and he deserved better in the 69th minute when he broke through but the ball ran unkindly for him and the chance passed him by.King shot too high in the dying moments as home custodian Ben Hinchliffe, as in the first encounter, had a quiet afternoon.
Lukic went down with cramp having worked like a trojan at the heart of the defence. Thankfully he was able to carry on.
So a good point for Matlock as the players carried out Atkins' instructions to the letter. Lessons from the first game had definitely been learned.
MATLOCK TOWN: Jon Kennedy, Oscar Radford, Ben Algar, Liam King, Adam Yates, James Lukic, Ben Hunter (Gareth Davies 74), Steve Warne, Ian Holmes, James Knowles (Nathan Joynes 81), Ben Algar. Subs not used--Tyeisse Nightingale, Kris Witcombe, Nick Buxton
REFEREE: N S Davies--The Wirral ATTENDANCE: 410 STAR MAN: Jon Kennedy
