Rainworth MW 1-6 Matlock Town
Matlock's substitutes won the day as a hat trick from Nathan Benger and a Reuben Wiggins-Thomas effort added to first half goals from Dene Cropper and Ross Hannah to give Matlock what in the end was an emphatic victory.
Joint bosses Phil Brown and Gareth Williams fielded all three of their top strikers from the off with Simon Barraclough playing just behind Cropper and Hannah in the first half which saw the Gladiators comfortably in cruise control.
Rainworth threatened first with a move down the left flank which ended with full back Carl Spencer erratically firing well beyond the back post and save for an effort from striker Malcolm Brown right at the end of the half which was again well off target, Matlock were never troubled in the first forty five minutes.
Cropper's header from a centre by Hannah dropped wide before the striker had better luck on 11 minutes. Simon Poxon failed to cut out a right wing cross from Gary Webster and even then goalkeeper Mark Hales should probably have kept out CROPPER's ten yard shot which went through him and into the net.
Two minutes later Webster created another chance which Hannah flicked wide at the near post but the lead was doubled after 18 minutes with again Webster the provider but this time from the left. Cropper's goalbound shot was deflected but HANNAH was there like a true goal poacher to pick up the pieces from close range.
The rest of the half was mainly Matlock on the attack up the Kirklington Road slope with Simon Harrison and Steve Warne pulling the strings in midfield and rightly dominating their Koolsport Northern Counties East League First Division opponents, but not being able to add to their lead.
Hannah was withdrawn at the interval as Barraclough joined Cropper in attack with Matlock reverting to a more conventional 4-4-2 system and Jackson, Hannah's replacement was soon creating two excellent chances which were wasted.
Only Barraclough will know how he scooped his shot too high with the goal at his mercy before Cropper seemed to lose his bearings as what looked to be a routine header for him ended with the ball bouncing yards wide of Hales' goal.
Those two misses seemed to inspire Rainworth who reduced the deficit when BROWN ran through the Town defence to sidestep Richmond and slot the ball into a vacant net.
Matlock though were unfortunate not to re-establish their two goal margin when successive fiercely hit strikes from Cropper, Warne and Ryan Laight were all charged down. Then a mishit, bobbled effort might have gone in!
But two errors by Cameron Fearon might have had the Nottinghamshire side right back in it with Richmond having to save well from Alan Jeffries at the expense of a corner before Brown fired wide after the Matlock full back had again relinquished possession far too easily.
But Benger, who had replaced Cropper on 62 minutes, was soon to stake his claim for a striking place. His own personal destruction of Rainworth began on 75 minutes when Jackson fed Wiggins-Thomas whose shot was charged down but BENGER was waiting to blast home the loose ball.
It was now all Matlock again as Benger latched on to Warne's pass with Hales this time keeping out the Matlock substitute's shot and from the resulting corner Ashley Foyle rose well only to plant a firm header well wide.
But Matlock went to town with three goals in the last five minutes. Fine play by Jackson on the left saw him play in a teasing ball which WIGGINS-THOMAS scrambled home with Benger there again, right where it mattered.
BENGER made it five with a smart finish from another Jackson assist before the best was saved till last, with another substitute, Luke Federenko crossing from the left and BENGER powered home a thundering header to end the scoring.
Benger will obviously have given Brown and Williams food for thought with his treble, and even though the win came against "lesser" opposition, they will be pleased to have got Thursday's rather lack lustre showing at Stocksbridge out of their systems.
MATLOCK TOWN: Richmond, Fearon, Caudwell, Harrison, Laight, Foyle, Webster (Federenko 76), Warne, Cropper (Benger 62), Barraclough (Wiggins-Thomas 71), Hannah (Jackson 46)
ATTENDANCE: 60 est REFEREE: S Wilman (Sheffield) STAR MAN: Simon Harrison.
