Nathan Joynes fourth Matlock goal in the 4th minute gave the Gladiators a second successive victory inside four days, to see them jump up to 14th spot and condemn second bottom Ossett to more misery in what looks to be a forlorn hope that they will stay in the top division.
Matlock were good value for their win but they made particularly heavy weather of it, particularly in the second half when their slick passing of the opening forty five minutes deserted them. Ironically though, they created more clear cut chances after the interval and Ossett were thankful that goalkeeper Liam Sutcliffe was in fine form to keep the margin of defeat down to a single goal.
Skipper James Lukic replaced Mark Haran in the heart of the defence in the one change from the team which had easily beaten Kendal on Saturday. The substitutes bench was a little thin though as Nathan Benger had rung in sick on Tuesday morning and Nick Buxton was unavailable. Haran was there in the case of a dire emergency, following his injury at the weekend, and Dene Cropper was again joined by teenagers Josh Wain and Danny Gregory.
Kicking up the Ingfield hill, Matlock made all of the early running. A first minute run by Liam King saw him stumble over a rash challenge on the left which could have earned a spot kick before his cross narowly eluded both Joynes and Ross Hannah. But the Gladiators got the massive boost of an early goal when JOYNES, in space on the edge of the penalty box, cracked home a fierce low drive which nestled just inside Sutcliffe's left hand post after the faintest of deflections off an Ossett defender.
Going for the jugular, Matlock won two more quick corners and Steve Warne then fed Hannah on the right who cut in to blast an eighteen yarder inches too high. Joynes then turned sweetly but shot too high.
Winger Andrew Catton fired a daisycutter at Adam Sollitt in Ossett's first trip forward in the 19th minute.Sollitt was to have a quiet night.
Normal service was resumed when Hannah's delicate lob dropped a little too late. Lukic clashed heads with Darren Thornton and was off the field for four minutes with a cut to his head. After Hannah was again too high, Scott Brough tidied up calmly and eficiently at the other end close to the interval which arrived with Matlock, most probably disappointed with just the one goal advantage, given their grip on proceedings.
To their credit, thereafter Ossett did not allow Town the space they had enjoyed earlier which led to a more disjointed and scrappy affair. Passes more often than not tended to go astray although Danny Wood fed Hannah who saw Sutcliffe need two attempts to grab his low drive on 48 minutes. Lukic then scuffed a shot from a corner which led to a scramble before Hannah's effort was hacked away for another flag kick.
The best move of the game came when Brough surged through from the back to play a sweet one-two with Joynes. Sutcliife did well to beat out the full back's shot and then blocked the follow up from Matlock's goalscorer.
Sutcliffe's acrobatics stopped Joynes from doubling his own and Matlock's tally on 73 minutes as Joynes turned on Sollitt's goal kick to swivel and volley in one movement. The tip over from Sutcliffe was as classy as Joynes' skill. Hannah was twice narrowly off target in a minute.
Ossett did not look capable of an unlikely leveller, but the nagging thought that Matlock might grant them just that remained. Hesitant defending allowed Thornton a shooting chance which ended up yards wide, before defender Paul Sykes, now pushed into attack, planted a header directly at Sollitt.
Cropper replaced Joynes in stoppage time, imediately flicking a header through to Hannah whose volley brought about another excellent Sutcliffe save.
Cropper's brief cameo ended with more possible injury frustration for him, with more aggravation to his troublesome and long standing knee problem.
But it was job done for Matlock, now two thirds of the way through their massive week, and still unscathed, with foot of the table Durham City due at Causeway Lane this Saturday.
MATLOCK TOWN: Adam Sollitt, Scott Brough, Lee Featherstone, Liam King, Adam Yates, James Lukic, Darren Cartwright, Steve Warne, Nathan Joynes (Dene Cropper 90), Ross Hannah, Danny Wood. Other subs: Josh Wain, Danny Gregory, Mark Haran.
REFEREE: A McIntyre--Doncaster. ATTENDANCE: 116. STAR MAN: Nathan Joynes.
