Atherton Collieries vs Matlock Town FC
Atherton Collieries
1Alder House
Northern Premier League
Matlock Town FC
3Match Report
ATHERTON COLLERIES 1-3 MATLOCK TOWN
Matlock’s new striking partnership of Jonny Margetts and Scott Boden made hay in the dark and dank atmosphere of the Skuna Stadium to comfortably return home with three points against the relegation haunted hosts.
A brace from top scorer Jonny Margetts was added to by Scott Boden forcing home a third goal which gave Matlock just rewards for a dominant display. The game finished with just twenty players on the pitch, Atherton losing Lewis Thompson on 44 minutes for hauling back a clear on goal Boden. Then with the game in stoppage time at the end substitute Olly Clark went in hard on Lewis Coulton and referee Sam Bragg had no hesitation in brandishing a red card.
Boden replaced Alex Duhameau in the one solitary change from the team beaten at home by Macclesfield in midweek In a difficult surface Matlock started the brighter with the slope in their favour. But it was the lowly Colls that made a surprise breakthrough on 8 minutes as ENOCK LUSIAMA knocked his finish beyond Town custodian Saul Deeney.
So with the Gladiators a goal in arrears fears of another sorry away day surfaced but as Matlock boss Martin Carruthers said afterwards, his side put in a professional performance to dominate the rest of the match and deservedly being home the bacon.
Penalty appeals were refused when Kornell McDonald’s shirt was pulled, McDonald also finding Margetts who lifted his shot over the bar. Then Harry Wood pulled an effort wide, Ioan Evans providing the chance when he nodded down a free kick.
Matlock momentarily went to sleep at the back as Adam Dawson was left unmarked but thankfully for the visitors, the Colls number ten shot wide when he at least should have extended Deeney.
Boden was linking up sweetly with Margetts, the referee waving away Town’s appeals for a free kick when he was brought down just outside the penalty box. Then when a free kick did go in the visitors’ favour Boden did well to stoop low to head Joe West’s delivery wide.
But the goal Matlock had been threatening and desperately needed came three minutes prior to the interval as John Johnston’s pin point centre was headed in by MARGETTS. Within a further ninety seconds Atherton were down to ten men as Thompson was adjudged to be last man when he brought down Boden and he was off for first use of the showers. Matlock went for the jugular straightaway as Nathan Whitehead drove off target, the half ending all square but Matlock being firmly on top and with a man advantage.
Kicking up the slope the burning question was could Matlock maintain their assault on the Colls goal? It was answered in the affirmative. Margetts had the first chance when his fiercely struck shot was fingernailed over the bar by home goalkeeper Josh Ollerenshaw, making his debut for the hosts. Inexplicably the referee awarded a goal kick , one of a number of puzzling decisions from the man in the middle.
But MARGETTS struck gold in 56 minutes, his partner in crime Boden again playing an important part as the ball fell to the league’s top scorer to prod home from close range. Margetts would then quickly miskick his finish as the Gladiators sought to widen their advantage. When McDonald played a great ball in, Margetts was a whisker away from completing a hat-trick, the traffic being all one way now towards the Atherton goal.
The win was virtually confirmed with nineteen minutes remaining following outstanding play by Harry Wood who made ground down the right, his low centre finding BODEN free as a bird at the back post to poke home to give the new man a richly deserved goal.
With time running out Margetts was looking for more goals, his strike hitting a defender to earn a corner before the Gladiators were also reduced to ten men in stoppage time, a robust challenge by Clark causing a melee with Clark almost instantly being shown a red card.
But that and the early giveaway of a goal were the only blots on a well drilled Matlock performance on the poorest of surfaces. It was a day to get the job done and get out back to Derbyshire as a potential banana skin was safely negotiated.
ATHERTON COLLERIES: 1 Josh Ollerenshaw 2 Dylan Moonan 3 Lewis Thompson 4 Ben Rydal 5 Mo Ali 6 Jordan Boon (17 Dylan Thompson 68) 7 Jordan Scanlon (15 Lewis Coulton 46) 8 Sioi Fofana 9 Lewis Mansell 10 Adam Dawson (12 Teddy Mfuni 57) 11 Enock Luszama Other subs: 14 Nathan Caine 16 Oli Putnam
MATLOCK TOWN; 1 Saul Deeney 2 George Wilkinson 3 Joe West 4 Nathan Whitehead 5 Adam Yates 6 Ioan Evans 7 John Johnston (15 Olly Clark 74) 8 Harry Wood(16 Finlay Armond 74) 9 Scott Boden (14 Anthony Dwyer 76) 10 Jonny Margetts 11 Kornell McDonald Other subs: 12 Alex Duhameau 17 Nat Crofts
REFEREE: Sam Bragg ATTENDANCE: 236 BEST GLADIATOR: Scott Boden