Two Stocksbridge old boys returned to their former home to haunt and harm their former employers as the Gladiators won a seven goal thriller at the Look Local Stadium on Saturday.
Hero and tormentor in chief was Ross Hannah who netted his first Matlock hat trick, while substitute Nathan Benger netted the other to inflict a first home defeat of the season on table topping Stocksbridge, managed by former Gladiator Gary Marrow.
Matlock made one change to their starting line up which had come through Tuesday night's FA Cup replay at Sleaford as Ben Algar replaced the injured Danny Wood. Dene Cropper could not find a place in the visitors sixteen.
Town got off to the best possible start by going ahead after only five minutes when virtually out of nothing, HANNAH turned to fire in a sweetly struck daisycutter from twenty yards that comfortably beat home goalkeeper Ben Scott.
Soon afterwards Algar wriggled free on the left to cross for Jackson, who again started centrally alongside Hannah, to shoot goalwards but Scott managed to block with his legs at the expense of a corner. Haran met the flag kick with a powerful header which Andy Ring on the goal line had to turn aside for another.
But Stocksbridge levelled against the run of the play on 14 minutes when after forcing a corner of their own on the left, BRIAN CUSWORTH rose high at the back post to head in.
The game was now even and end to end and when Cusworth held the ball up well on 25 minutes, it needed a timely interception from Lee Featherstone to deflect Andy Hirst's shot wide.
Hannah broke free down the right only to overhit the cross and although Featherstone did well to retrieve possession, the Steels defended well to snuff out the danger. Then a better move involving Liam King, Steve Warne and Hannah ended with Scott saving well from Algar.
But it was Stocksbridge who held the lead at the break and Matlock will be unhappy with their defending as Steve Hawes slipped a pass down the right and nobody tracked MARK WARD who tucked a neat finish under Adam Sollitt into the opposite corner.
BENGER replaced Algar at the interval and made an almost immediate impact with a sublime finish on 52 minutes to haul Matlock back on to level terms. Warne found him on the right and he kept his cool to clip a beauty over Scott.
Then the industrious King fired at Scott as Matlock came again but they were knocked back again just after the hour when WARD collected Scott Brough's underhit clearance, and spotting Sollitt only slightly off his line, chipped a magnificent twenty five yarder that found its target with unerring accuracy to put the Steels back in front again.
But this fine advert for UniBond League football still had more thrills and spills to come. Scott's faulty boot forward was intercepted by Jackson who immediately tried his luck only for his effort to drift wide. At the other end Matt Telling's fiercely struck twenty five yarder was deflected over. Clearly the next goal would probably determine the destiny of the points and Matlock got it on 71 minutes when Jackson was brought down by Hirst and HANNAH showed no mercy as he blasted in the spot kick, his second in successive games.
HANNAH was then booked after a challenge on Ryan Ludlam but he wasn't finished yet. After being fouled just outside the box on 75 minutes, his confidence was sky high and he made the Steels pay dearly, whipping in a screamer which flew past the startled Scott and bulging his net to send the visiting fans into raptures.
That had been the killer blow and manager Mark Atkins sensibly took him off to huge applause as a card happy Mr Haycock would have been quick to dismiss him had there been another incident.
That had been the killer blow and Stocksbridge could not find a reply. In fact it was Matlock who looked the more likely scorers as Benger and Jackson combined neatly to release King who was denied by Scott low to his left. Haran headed a corner narrowly wide as the Gladiators comfortably dictated proceedings towards the end, although it required a marvellous sliding challenge by Lukic to stop Cusworth from having a decent scoring opportunity.
The win should do wonders for confidence in the Gladiators camp with some big games on the horizon. There were some huge performances from the visiting players with the midfield particularly impressive. But the star rating must go to one man. To return to your old stamping ground and score a hat-trick is what dreams are made of. Well done to Ross Hannah.
MATLOCK TOWN: Sollitt, Brough, Featherstone, King, Haran, Lukic, Warne, Davies, Jackson (Yates 89), Hannah (Cartwright 76), Algar (Benger 46). Other subs: Thorpe, Buxton.
REFEREE: K Haycock--Bradford ATTENDANCE: 276 STAR MAN: Ross Hannah
