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Matlock Town FC vs Buxton FC

Attendance: 575 Referee: A Tankard (Sheffield)Date: 22 April 2019
Club Matlock Town FC

Matlock Town FC

0
FT

Proctor Cars Stadium

Northern Premier League
Club Buxton FC

Buxton FC

6

Match Report

MATLOCK TOWN 0-6 BUXTON

Buxton bent Matlock over and gave them a proper caning in the Easter Monday sun at the Proctor Cars Stadium.

The visitors therefore swapped places with Gainsborough Trinity on goal difference in the race for the final play off spot after the thrashing which cruelly exposed Matlock's current deficiencies.

Liam Hardy notched four of them to improve on his hat-trick on the same ground last season, with Alex Brown and Diego Degirolamo adding the others. Matlock could have few complaints , they looked susceptible every time the Bucks attacked.

Buxton were clear favourites beforehand on current form but even their most ardent fan could not have expected such an emphatic win, achieved with the utmost of ease.

Matlock were simply woeful, add to that a shameful lack of effort and application by most wearing a blue shirt made the defeat even worse. To not give one hundred per cent effort in a local derby on home turf should be unimagineable, but that's what happened. To lose any game 6-0 is unacceptable, but to do it against your local rivals with pride and esteem at stake is criminal.

For young goalkeeper Jordan Pierrepont it was another painful and sobering afternoon. Playing at academy level is one thing but to come up against seasoned, experienced strikers of Hardy and Degirolamo's class is another.

However he deserved greater protection from the players in front of him, players with good experience at this level and those above.

Cleveland Taylor drove tamely wide from distance in the opening minute but Buxton were soon in front, again from a set piece as Brown's corner was met at the far post by HARDY who not having been tracked, headed home easily from close range in the 5th minute.

Matlock were looking as if they might find a way into the match when a fine move led to Buxton doubling their advantage in the 19th minute, BROWN latching on to a crossfield pass which cut through the Matlock defence like a knife through butter and the wing back drove low past Pierrepont who stood little chance of keeping the shot out.

Youngster Nyle Blake looked the Gladiators' most lively player, a 27th minute penetrating run ending with his shot being blocked by a Bucks defender but Buxton added their third goal when from a free kick DIEGO DEGIROLAMO provided the final headed touch from a scramble where Buxton simply showed the greater desire to score and Matlock succumbed too easily. Pierrepont was injured in the process and was fit to continue after treatment.

Visiting custodian Theo Roberts advanced quickly to nick the ball off Blake's toes but Buxton were comfortably on their way to their convincing win with a three goal interval lead.

Roberts pulled off a fine diving save to keep out Brad Beatson's downward header two minutes after the interval but Buxton made it four in the 56th minute when Taylor brought down substitute Jude Oyibuand HARDY calmly slotted in the spot kick.

Nathan Whitehead was a whisker away from converting a low cross from the right by Craig Westcarr and Marcus Marshall had two shots fielded by Roberts but two late HARDY strikes rubbed salt into open Matlock wounds.

On 80 minutes Matlock made a mess of clearing a free kick and HARDY had the simple task of forcing the ball home from close range and Matlock's embarrassment was complete two minutes later when the prolific Buxton striker netted with an explosive shot into the top corner which Pierrepont could scarcely have .seen.

It was a disasterous afternoon for Matlock who looked as if they had got out their flip flops and gone on their summer holidays. The least fans can expect is to battle, to play with pride in any game, especially a local derby. On this evidence, very few will be with the club next term. They let down their management team,, their officials and most of all the fans.

The season simply can't finish soon enough for Matlock. They were challenging themselves for a play off spot at Christmas when they drew 2-2 at Buxton. The contrast here could not have been more stark.

MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Jordan Pierrepont 2 Lee Beevers (12 Greg Tempest 71) 3 Brad Beatson 4 Michael Hollingsworth 5 Dwayne Wiley 6 Adam Yates 7 Nyle Blake (15 Nathan Morley 78) 8 Nathan Whitehead 9 Craig Westcarr 10 Marcus Marshall 11 Cleveland Taylor (14 Jordan Chapell 63) Other subs: 16 Callum Chettle 17 Terry Fleming

BUXTON: 1 Theo Roberts 2 Brad Roscoe 3 Alex Brown 4 Nico Degirolamo 5 Tom Dean 6 Scott Sephton 7 Callum Chippendale 8 Ash Young 9 Diego Degirolamo (16 Jude Oyibu 47) 10 Liam Hardy (15 Brad Grayson 85) 11 John Pritchard (12 Adam Freeland 76) Other subs: 14 Josh Meade 17 Adam Bruce

REFEREE: A Tankard (Sheffield) ATTENDANCE: 575 BEST GLADIATOR: Nyle Blake BEST BUCK: Liam Hardy