Matlock brought their big guns on to finally extinguish the hosts' spirited challenge in Tuesday night's friendly at the Hosiery Mills Ground.
The Gladiators began the game with an experimental line up as only Adam Yates and James Lukic as first team regulars from last season, and even then should have been in command by half time.
Mark Atkins rang the changes in the second period and Danny Wood broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute before two strikes from Ross Hannah, one a penalty, completed the scoring.
The game began late due to the non appearance of the referee, so the two appointed young assistants did a half each with a reserve linesman arriving with the match some six minutes old.
Josh Wain, playing in central midfield with the giant Luke Marson, shot over the bar from the edge of the box on 7 minutes before James Knowles, partnering Jason Hardy in attack, neatly controlled a cross from winger Reuben Wiggins-Thomas bit volleyed just a foot too high.
Matlock were dominating the Central Midlands League side managed by former Gladiators midfielder Mark Shaw and playing down the slope, they were creating enough chances to win the tie twice over.
Lukic moved up to meet a corner only to see his daisycutter blocked, and then after a brief reply from the Snipes, Jason Hardy's great strike seemed destined for the top corner until the home custodian produced a splendid fingertip save. Lukic volleyed the corner goalwards and an instinctive header from a home defender partially relieved the pressure which was maintained when Knowles headed disappointingly wide from a Yates centre.
Wiggins-Thomas stabbed wide a pass from Cartwright who looked offside in the build-up before a low ball in from Kris Witcombe was crying out to be blasted in.
Witcombe had to be alert at the other end to block from Sutton's target man after slack defensive play by the Gladiators which just goes to show that you can be punished for failing to take your chances and by switching off at the back.
Sutton were more in the game in the early stages of the second half as a couple of efforts whistled wide.
The change of official heralded a change in attitude. The first half referee had been sensible and calm, his replacement basically wanted to be the centre of attention.
There was a flare up in the 59th minute when Kris Bowler was booted on the floor with both players reacting angrily. Bowler ended up being substituted at the referee's request, but no action was taken against his opponent.
A Danny Wood cross was headed straight at the goalkeeper by Hannah as Matlock resumed control after a scrappy twenty odd minutes.
WOOD was on hand to net with an angled twelve yard drive from the right after efforts from both Liam King and Hannah had been charged down by the Snipes rearguard. King had another shooting chance almost immediately but curled his effort high and wide before HANNAH doubled his lead from the spot in what looked to be another misjudgement by the second haldf referee.
King's 80th minute shot struck the enraged home defender in the chest, but the referee deemed it to be handball and Matlock's striking favourite showed no mercy with a fierce penalty conversion.
Three minutes later HANNAH notched his brace and the visitors' third thanks to a jinking Ben Algar run, the former Chesterfield winger slipping a short pass to Hannah who, with the aid of a slight deflection, comfortably shot into the far corner.
Wood and Hannah might have added further goals before the end, and there was also more controversy as Lukic was struck in the face by a Sutton player who, amazingly was merely booked and allow to stay on the field.
Atkins vented his spleen at the official at the final whistle as a game that never looked physical in the first half, had threatened to boil over with the refereeing change.
MATLOCK TOWN: Nick Buxton, Kris Witcombe, Zeik Jenkins (Lee Featherstone 63), Luke Marson, Adam Yates, James Lukic, Reuben Wiggins-Thomas (Danny Gregory 78), Josh Wain (Kris Bowler 54, Liam King 59), Jason Hardy (Danny Wood 63), James Knowles (Ross Hannah 54), Darren Cartwright (Ben Algar 54). Other sub: Adam Sollitt.
ATTENDANCE: 80 (est) STAR MAN: Adam Yates
