Matlock Town suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Trafford in a training game before the league season makes its long-awaited restart on Saturday this week.
While it was a distinctly below-par performance against a team one tier below them, the main focus of the night was for players to gain as much match fitness as possible before the NPL Premier Division finally gets back under way.
It was a strange game to watch overall. The first half was a surprisingly lively affair with the Gladiators wasting a series of chances and being made to pay the price for these following three outstanding long-range goals from the Manchester outfit that goalkeeper Shaun Rowley could do nothing about. The second half was virtually a non-event with very little in the way of any actual chances being created by both teams.
The Gladiators really should have taken the lead in the 16th minute when Liam Hughes had two excellent opportunities to hit the back of the net from two successive Alex Byrne deliveries from the right wing. With the first chance, Hughes headed over the bar from ten yards out when he had more space than he probably realised. Thirty seconds later, Hughes was given a second bite of the cherry when Byrne delivered another excellent cross which found Matlock’s leading scorer from only six yards out but his header somehow rolled narrowly wide of the post.
Matlock paid the price just two minutes later. Matlock lost possession in midfield in the 18th minute and Max Hazeldine surprised everyone by shooting all the way out from thirty yards. It was a terrific first time hit and the ball smashed the top corner out of Rowley’s reach to give The North a surprise lead.
The Gladiators really should have equalised in the 27th minute but recent signing Ross Hannah spurned two golden opportunities one after another. Hannah met yet another cross from the right wing with his head but his effort was fired straight at Trafford’s goalkeeper. The keeper parried the ball straight back at Hannah but he somehow managed to completely scuff the rebound with the goal at his mercy.
Trafford took full advantage of Matlock’s lack of cutting edge up front with two more amazing long-range goals. The North won a free kick from thirty yards out in the 42nd minute and up stepped skipper Oli Roberts who struck the set-piece beautifully into the top corner and out of Rowley’s reach.
Remarkably, Trafford extended their lead to 3-0 on the stroke of half-time after yet another incredible long-range goal. This one was the best of the lot and it was Roberts once again who took all the plaudits. The Trafford captain placed the ball down for a free-kick from a tight angle thirty yards out on the right wing. Incredibly, the skipper blasted the ball which curled deliciously into the top corner. This may have just been a training game but this was a goal that deserved to win a game in any competition. The outstanding trio of goals left a shell-shocked Matlock side 3-0 down as they trudged off the pitch at half-time.
The second half was a pretty turgid affair with very little chances at either end. Matlock’s best opportunity to get a goal back was arrived in the 78th minute when substitute Osebi Abadaki went on a surging run and his 12 yard effort forced the Trafford goalkeeper into a decent save to tip the ball around the post. Trafford’s best chance for a fourth goal fell in the 66th minute when Rowley came out well to block a one-on-one opportunity.
Ultimately, the result wasn’t the be all and end all with this type of game but Paul Phillips still has a lot to ponder judging by his post-game comments and will be urgently looking for an improvement once the league campaign finally returns on Saturday.
Matlock Town team: Rowley, Yates, Kendall, Egerton, Qualter (Harris 46), Lees (Walker 46), Byrne (Abadaki 63), Chippendale (Carney 46), Hughes (c), Hannah (Coppin 46), King (Whitehead 46). Unused sub: Dolan.
Paul Phillips Quotes
“For me, two or three players won’t be in the squad on Saturday because of what they did tonight. You’ll see we gave a lot of players an opportunity tonight – I think everyone more or less had 45 minutes, apart from Osebi, but I think you’ll see the reasoning why certain players won’t be in the squad come Saturday. Whether these players will still be at the club, that’s down to them to fight for their place…I think you’ll see a shift in emphasis come Saturday afternoon at Stalybridge.”
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