Retford United vs Matlock Town FC
Retford United
0Cannon Park
Pre Season Friendly
Matlock Town FC
3Match Report
RETFORD UNITED 0-3 MATLOCK TOWN
A quickfire hat-trick in the final eleven minutes of the first half from Harry Wakefield gave Matlock their second win of their pre season campaign at Cannon Park on Saturday.
Wakefield and Matlock could easily and should have scored more against their gutsy Toolstation NCEL First Division opponents on a windy day when for the most part the rain relented from causing more problems for the players.
Saul Deeney was named as captain in place of the absent Ioan Evans with manager Martin Carruthers rejigging his defence to include a trialist, moving Joe West from left to right full back and slotting in Robbie McNicholas in the centre alongside Jamie Sharman. There was a welcome return for John Johnston on the right of the midfield with Archie White on the left and young Sam Hooper continuing in the centre alongside a trialist while Wakefield had another trialist as his striking partner.
Matlock had the wind behind them in the opening half, but had to be careful with the weight of their passing, some being overhit and attacks breaking down.
The Gladiators wasted a gilt edged chance to go ahead in the 16th minute, Johnston breaking clear on the right to have a one on one with United goalkeeper Jake Teale only to fire wide of the near post.
As the tackling intensified referee Scott Mason had his hands full keeping control, the game being fiercely contested and remaining reasonably even.
Teale kept the Badgers level when on 25 minutes Johnston crossed towards Wakefield with Teale saving at point blank range as the Gladiators number nine sought to apply the decisive finish, Hooper also seeing his effort charged down, Trialist C was then denied as he ran on to a pass from Trialist A, Matlock needing to make the most of elements which were causing goalkicks to travel no more than twenty yards before swirling out of play.
But the pressure eventually told as WAKEFIELD pounced on an error at the heart of the Badgers’ defence to thread a precise low shot past Teale on 34 minutes.
The second goal three minutes before the break was straightforward in creation, Deeney’s long punt being seized upon by WAKEFIELD who rounded Teale before slotting into a vacant net and the icing on the cake for both Wakefield and Matlock came right at the end of the half, Johnston producing some magic on the edge of the box to feed WAKEFIELD to complete his treble with a low drive.
Deeney was replaced by the trialist goalkeeper who had suffered a baptism of fire in the Chesterfield friendly, this time though he was more assured.
He did well to turn away a whipped in free kick from Josh Scully but Matlock should have gone four up when McNicholas fed Johnston who slipped Wakefield through on goal but Teale denied him with a fantastic interception as Matlock hunted further goals.
Their trialist goalkeeper was on hand to push away an effort from Retford’s substitute Footitt and in the hosts’ best spell of the game, a Scully drive from the edge of the box was deflected over the bar before from a corner, McNicholas blocked a shot before from the rebound the trialist goalkeeper superbly blocked a Nick Guest shot, Guest then lifting the further loose ball over the bar.
The rest of the contest saw a procession of Matlock chances, Wakefield seeing a shot and a header drop wide and Johnston, again clean through being successfully challenged by Teale as he tried to round him. Teale rescued Retford again with a good save from Trialist D as Matlock could reflect on a job largely well done.
RETFORD UNITED: 1 Jake Teale 2 Tom Roebuck 3 Max Pemberton 4 Josh Scully (Caygill 83) 5 Stuart Ludlam 6 Danny Booth 7 Igor Mlynarski (Footitt 59) Brandon Kane 9 Charlie Baird (Reece 59) 10 Mark West 11 Nick Guest (Turner 69)
MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Saul Deeney (Trialist 46) 2 Joe West 3 Trialist A 4 Sam Hooper (15 Andrew Wright 62) 5 Jamie Sharman 6 Robbie McNicholas 7 John Johnston 8 Trialist B 9 Harry Wakefield 10 Trialist C ( 16 Trialist D 62) 11 Archie White Other sub: 14 Karl Demidh
REFEREE: Scott Mason (Sutton-in-Ashfield) ATTENDANCE: 164