Matlock Town FC vs Derby County
Matlock Town FC
0The Proctor Cars Stadium
Pre Season Friendly
Derby County
2Match Report
MATLOCK TOWN 0 DERBY COUNTY 2
Having leaked nine goals against Chesterfield on Tuesday, this was a much better all round performance from Matlock against their League One neighbours in front of another sell out Proctor Cars Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams won thanks to a strike from James Collins on 39 minutes with Ben Radcliffe making sure of the victory late on. This time Matlock manager Martin Carruthers was more reserved with his substitutions, probably having learned a very painful lesson against Chesterfield, who themselves were goal happy again on Saturday with a 5-1 win at Alfreton Town.
With Reece Styche and John Johnston unavailable, both Ollie Clarke and Nat Crofts were given starts on a warm day when thankfully the rains stayed away, the tsunami not arriving in Matlock until 8.30 pm leaving the pitch and surrounding walkways under deep water.
Matlock looked solid as predictably the Rams enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and as in the first half on Tuesday, they at times looked bright going forward and might have taken the lead themselves, especially when Crofts broke clean through the Derby rearguard scampering on to a beautifully struck long range pass from Ollie Clark , Rams goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith making an important and brave block to keep Derby level.
Earlier the Rams threatened when a Connor Hourihane shot was deflected wide after a neat build up involving Callum Elder down the left. Soon afterwards Saul Deeney, a former Ram himself, tipped a Joe Ward free kick over the bar, Then an ambitious Ward volley from Elder’s crossfield pass flashed wildly off target before he was closer with another strike but still didn’t trouble Deeney.
Matlock responded when Clark was again at the centre of the action, finding a trialist substitute who had replaced the injured Kemi Augustien, Josh Vickers this time being the man in green to deny the Gladiators the lead.
But that man Ward, a summer signing for the Rams from Peterborough United would get huge satisfaction when his penetrating cross from the right was expertly finished by COLLINS inside the six yard box.
Max Bird on as a substitute soon caused the Gladiators problems with a run through the penalty box before unleashing a strike which could be termed as either a cross or a shot, nevertheless the ball fizzled away from danger. The up and coming Davaune Brown then showed both determination and skill as he fashioned a shooting opportunity for himself, the ball clearing the bar watched by Matlock’s trialist custodian.
Derby doubled their lead when Radcliffe combined brilliantly with Bird, running on to Bird’s reverse pass to trundle his shot low into the far corner. Korey Smith’s header from a Brown cross was well kept out by the trialist goalkeeper, but three would have been harsh on Matlock who kept their shape and organisation to the very end.
A good work out for both sides and from Matlock’s viewpoint, a good pay day.
2 / 2
MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Saul Deeney (Trialist 46), 2 Robbie McNicholas 3 Joe West (Trialist 75) 4 Kemi Augustien (12 Trialist 25) 5 Jamie Sharman 6 Ioan Evans 7 Ollie Clark 8 Andrew Wright 9 Jonno Margetts 10 Karl Demidh (15 Harry Wakefield 65) 11 Nat Crofts (Trialist 46)
DERBY COUNTY: 1 Joe Wildsmith (31 Josh Vickers 30, Scott Loach 60) 3 Craig Forsyth (Eiran Cashin 46) 4 Connor Hourihane (12 Korey Smith 46) 7 Tom Barkhuizen (36 Ben Radcliffe 31) 9 James Collins (39 Davaune Brown 46) 15 Callum Elder (17 Riley Moloney 46) 16 Liam Thompson 23 Joe Ward (40 Max Bardell 46) 26 Darren Robinson (8 Max Bird 46) 34 Jake Rooney (37 Callum Moore 46) 41 Daniel Cox (35 Curtis Nelson 46)
REFEREE: Harry Jones (Belper) ATTENDANCE: 2300