A goal to the good and looking comfortably in control, Matlock simply did not perform in the second half to allow a previously pointless Stamford to recover and earn their first victory of the season. It was a poor result for the Gladiators as quite simply, Stamford were there for the taking. Matlock should really have been contemplating this weekend's trip to Prescot with their unbeaten record still intact, if not a 100% record. Steve Taylor came into the starting line up in place of Simon
Barraclough who had a tight hamstring in the one alteration to the team with Barraclough being on the bench.

Matlock began confidently as the Daniels looked a side low on confidence. From a 5th minute corner James Lukic towered above the home defence to power in a header which narrowly cleared the bar. Soon afterwards a well struck Paul Riley twenty five yarder suffered a similar fate. Then a Taylor flick nearly released Ian Holmes who was crowded out by the home defence. Stamford's first threat came when full back Bobby White robbed Gary Webster in the Matlock half but his long range effort was off target. A Glenn Kirkwood header was too high and there was a promising situation for Matlock on 26 minutes when Ian Holmes had the benefit of a couple of ricochets before his cross shot bounced just the wrong side of the far upright.

In between there had been a half chance for Stamford but Andy Richmond was out quickly to snuff out former Football League striker Tony Battersby. But Matlock made the breakthrough in the 31st minute as Riley's astute pass released TAYLOR who confidently fired a low ground shot beyond home custodian Chris Sanna. Almost immediately the Daniels won a free kick some twenty five yards from goal but Richmond saved Leon Mettam's strike superbly. Matlock though ended the half in control and in the ascendancy with another Kirkwood header from a corner being fractionally too high.

But the half time interval did Matlock no good at all and they might have conceded within seconds of the restart but Battersby skied his penalty high over the bar after Lukic was adjudged to have felled Mettam. But BATTERSBY made amends when on 56 minutes his deftly placed header just inside Richmond's right hand post when Tyrone Kirk crossed from the right pulled Stamford level. The goal gave Stamford a lift and Richmond had to be on his toes to save well from Damien French but midway through the half Matlock were within a lick of paint from regaining the lead. Lukic flicked on a free kick and the onrushing Ryan Laight crashed a superb header against the bar. Then Paul Riley fired a first time drive narrowly wide following a swift Gladiators break.

Stamford also struck the woodwork through Mettam before the finale which saw substitute Simon Barraclough force Sanna into a brilliant save to keep out his power packed drive and Stamford snatch a dramatic decider. Martin Wormall's miss hit shot fell to METTAM who fired low past Richmond and Matlock had no time to recover. A disappointing second half display had cost them dear and they had lost to a team they should have comfortably brushed aside.
MATLOCK TOWN: Richmond, Laight, Davis, Circuit, Kirkwood, (Barraclough 69) Lukic, Webster, Warne, Holmes, Taylor (Hall 78), Riley. Other sub: Austin. REFEREE: M Howes (Solihull) ATT: 275 STAR MAN: Glenn Kirkwood