Matlock Town will be looking to make it four wins in a row and extend their stay at the top of the Northern Premier League Premier Division table on Tuesday evening as they host Mickleover in a Derbyshire derby.
The Gladiators secured a winner deep into injury time in their previous game against FC United of Manchester to move ahead of South Shields to the top of the league. Paul Phillips will be eager for his team to pick up as many points as possible between now and their intriguing clash at home to South Shields next week.
The Opposition
Mickleover currently sit in 17th position in the NPL Premier Division after picking up 12 points from their opening 12 league games. In their most recent match, Mickleover conceded an injury time equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Scarborough Athletic.
Their manager is former Aston Villa, Doncaster Rovers and Republic of Ireland U21 player John McGrath. McGrath was part of the Doncaster Rovers team that won the old Third Division title in the 2003/04 season, was part of the Weymouth side that clinched the old Conference South title in the 2005/06 campaign and was also a member of Burton Albion's Conference Premier title winning team in the 2008/09 season. The 41 year-old Irishman took over as Mickleover's manager in April 2016.
Mickleover, until recently, were officially known as Mickleover Sports and are still affectionately referred to as 'Sports'. They play their home games at The Don Amott Arena in the Mickleover suburb of Derby. The stadium can hold up to 1,500 spectators with a seated capacity of 280. The stadium is named after the club's chairman.
Sports were the surprise leaders of the ill-fated 2020/21 league season before the campaign was officially null and voided due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their most recent honour came in the 2014/15 season when the team won the Northern Premier League Division One South title.
One to Watch
Veteran striker Stuart Beavon will be a key player to look out for on Tuesday evening. The 37 year-old forward has played for the likes of Wycombe Wanderers, Preston North End, Burton Albion and Coventry City during his career.
Beavon was part of the Coventry City team that won the Football League Trophy in the 2016/17 season and also won the FA Vase with Didcot Town back in the 2004/05 campaign.
Team News
Jerome Greaves will continue to be absent while he recovers from his hamstring injury while Jamie Sharman will still be unavailable due to personal reasons.
Ross Hannah should be fit enough to be available for selection but it's still unknown as to whether Jamie Cooke and Callum Chippendale will be able to play following their injuries sustained during the 1-0 victory at Radcliffe.
Previous Meeting
Matlock Town last played Mickleover on October 12, 2019 during the first Covid-hit season in the NPL Premier Division. The Gladiators won the derby 3-1 at home thanks to goals from Dan Bramall, Luke Hinsley and Sam Scrivens in front of a crowd of 729.
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