Guiseley AFC vs Matlock Town FC
Guiseley AFC
4Nethermoor Park
Northern Premier League
Matlock Town FC
0Match Report
GUISELEY 4-0 MATLOCK TOWN
The four goals margin suggests a thrashing for the Gladiators but in essence, in terms of their performance it was far from it.
Matlock were punished for some avoidable errors and that really was the difference in for thew most part was a well balanced match between two teams intent on looking for goals. Guiseley worked hard to keep a clean sheet intact whilst Matlock ensured the upcoming festive period came early for the hosts with some poor defending and also missing chances at the other end.
With Jon Margetts joined by Karl Demidh on the missing list, Anthony Dwyer took on the central forward role, manager Marti Carruthers making one change from the team beaten at Curzon Ashton in the FA Trophy at the weekend, Michael Williams playing his first game for the Gladiators for four years in central midfield,
Matlock won a free kick and a corner in the opening minute, wasting them both and Guiseley then countering at pace through Gabriel Johnson on the left, his cross flashing across the six yard box with no-one in a white shirt there to convert. A corner resulted with Saul Deeney shoveling away a header from Jameel Ible.
Matlock won another corner, they would increase that total of flag kicks into double figures during the opening half, but again the hosts broke at pace with former Gladiator Kallan Murphy screwing his shot wide of Deeney’s right hand post. A sign of things to come perhaps, with a lack of concentration at vital times from Matlock. George Wilkinson then lost possession and was thankful that Tom Pratt prodded his effort wide.
Matlock then settled and after another ex Gladiator Leigh Whelan was booked for a foul on Harry Wood, Johnston’s free kick was straight at goalkeeper Ollie Battersby. Ible quickly followed Whelan into the referee’s notebook for another foul on Wood and from Joe West’s free kick, Dwyer headed too high when well placed.
But Town fell behind on the half hour when Johnson looked suspiciously offside latching on to another ball down the left. Wilkinson made the cardinal sin of stopping as did other Matlock players and Johnson’s cross was fired into the top corner by PRATT from twelve yards.
Almost immediately Ioan Evans picked up a fifth yellow card of the season, somewhat harshly in an aerial challenge with Murphy, meaning a one match ban against Lancaster City on December 2. A couple of minutes later Nathan Whitehead wiped out Murphy with a strong tackle and joined the yellow card list.
Then for the rest of the half it was all Matlock.
Battersby did well to push aside a deflected strike from Dwyer and from the corner Whitehead missed a gilt edged chance, scuffing his shot wide from six yards when he looked certain to score. Then came two more difficult opportunities, Wood seeing his shot well kept out by Battersby before a deflected Dwyer effort brought about a corner which produced yet another flag kick as Whitehead’s shot was also deflected behind.
The pressure from Matlock was intense with Evans heading wide from Johnston’s left wing corner and in stoppage time an awkward chest high chance fell to Wood which produced an equally difficult finish, Wood then seeing his shot blocked.
There had been enough to encourage Matlock’s hopes of salvation in the second half.
Guiseley kicked off and immediately won a corner which Matlock cleared, Williams firing narrowly too high before Battersby made a world class save from a stinging Whitehead strike, this coming after Ible had done magnificently well to block from Dwyer.
Matlock continued to dominate for a spell without having that extra composure in the final third.
Yet another former Matlockian Reece Kendall had to be on top form with the sponsor’s star man Ible to repel Matlock who then shot themselves in the foot again in the 58th minute.
Alex Duhameau initially did well to mop up a home attack in the right back spot but his clearance was cut out eighteen yards out, the ball falling to JOHNSON who tucked a low shot past Deeney to double the Lions’ lead.
It had come against the run of the play and was a body blow for Matlock as Guiseley’s performance visibly improved with confidence running from their veins.
Williams was booked for fouling Ible midway through the half, but he had put in a fine display and after four years away from Step 3 football, he looked as if he had never been away.
Matlock made three changes but it required a superhuman effort now to save the game. The scoreline would flatter Guiseley who added two further goals, MURPHY netting from a tight angle after Johnson had rounded Deeney . Johnson then ran forty yards unchallenged as Matlock started to look a little sorry for themselves, clipping his shot wide.
Matlock sought a consolation, Andrew Wright shooting too high before fellow substitute Olly Clark’s fierce shot was charged down by determined Guiseley defenders. Dwyer was again too high but Guiseley were better in both penalty boxes.
With virtually the last kick of the game, PRINCE EKPOLO rubbed salt in deep Matlock wounds by hammering home from twenty yards after a free kick had been blocked.
It was a final scoreline that was harsh on Matlock but they gifted Guiseley their goals and failed to take their own.
GUISELEY : 1 Ollie Battersby 2 Oliver Brown 3 Jordi Nsaka 4 Leigh Whelan (15 Callum Chippendale 86) 5 Jameel Ible 6 Reece Kendall 7 Tom Pratt 8 Prince Ekpolo 9 Kallan Murphy (14 Tom Denton 81 10 Gabriel Johnson 11 Joe Stacey (16 Kofi Moore 81) Other subs: 12 Courtney Meppen-Walters 17 Jake Forshaw
MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Saul Deeney 2 George Wilkinson 3 Joe West 4 Nathan Whitehead (12 Andrew Wright 77) 5 Adam Yates 6 Ioan Evans 7 John Johnston 8 Harry Wood (14 Nat Crofts 73) 9 Alex Duhameau 10 Michael Williams (15 Olly Clark 77) 11 Anthony Dwyer Other subs: 16 Jamie Sharman 18 Alex Akers
REFEREE: Joe Goodwin (Pontefract) ATTENDANCE: 528 BEST GLADIATOR: Michael Williams