Matlock Town secured an excellent 1-0 victory away at Ashton United on Tuesday evening to move into second position in the Northern Premier League Premier Division. Before this game, Matlock had lost four out of their five away games in the league this season.
Ryan Qualter's first goal of the season early on in the second half was the difference between the two sides.
The Gladiators were certainly the better team in the match and deserved the three points. The majority of the clear-cut chances fell to Matlock and Ashton's only real threats on goal arrived in the final 15 minutes. It was a very disappointing performance from the Robins considering they were in second position in the NPL Premier Division going into this game and were unbeaten at Hurst Cross Stadium in the league this season.
The first big opportunity of the game arrived in the 12th minute when a stinging effort from Jordan Barnett on the edge of the penalty area forced Robins goalkeeper Greg Hartley into a good save.
It was Irish striker Kallan Murphy who really should have broken the deadlock though in the first half. After 27 minutes played, an exquisite left-wing delivery from Reece Kendall found an unmarked Murphy around the penalty spot but his header was steered wide of the post when he really should have at least forced the goalkeeper into action. Murphy's reaction afterwards said it all. Four minutes later, Murphy was left scratching his head once more when his close-range effort at the near post was somehow blocked by Hartley to keep the score at 0-0.
The Gladiators almost took the lead on the stroke of half-time when another rapid 18 yard shot from Barnett was well kept out by the right foot of Hartley in Ashton's goal.
The deadlock was finally broken though nine minutes into the second half. An excellent corner from Alex Byrne found the head of Gladiators skipper Ryan Qualter and he buried the ball home from close-range to give Matlock a deserved lead and to secure his first goal of the 2022/23 campaign.
In the 66th minute of the game, Matlock had a huge penalty appeal turned down by the referee. Several Gladiators players pleaded with the referee that a Robins defender had handled the ball in his own penalty area; but to Ashton's relief, the referee was unconvinced.
The remainder of the match was a very scrappy affair and some sloppy passing from Matlock allowed the hosts to come back into the game in search of an equaliser.
Ashton's first big chance of the entire game fell in the 76th minute when a 12 yard header from Robins captain Harry Coates forced Jim Pollard to dive to his left hand side to prevent an equaliser. Pollard did well to keep hold of the ball and stop Ashton from tucking away a simple rebound.
Matlock's defence soaked up Ashton's pressure well as the game approached stoppage time. Once stoppage time began, two huge moments of the match took place. Firstly, Matlock should have killed the game off when substitute Shaun Tuton threaded an excellent through ball down the middle to allow the in-form Alex Wiles with a run through on goal. With just the goalkeeper to beat though, Wiles's effort from inside the penalty area was superbly blocked by Greg Hartley. The Gladiators came perilously close to paying the price for this spurned opportunity.
In the final minute of stoppage time, the Robins won a free-kick in a very dangerous area. As everyone at Hurst Cross Stadium held their breath, Ashton's last-gasp free-kick dramatically smacked off the post before the Gladiators defence hurriedly cleared the ball away. To Matlock's huge relief, the final whistle was blown just seconds later.
Matlock Town team: Pollard, Mantack, Kendall, Lees, Evans, Qualter (c), Byrne (Tuton 78), Chippendale, Murphy (Sharman 90), Wiles, Barnett (McHale 86). Unused subs: Njaria, Slew.
Attendance: 248
Craig Elliott Quotes:
"I thought we were superb in the first half in particular. Probably the best we've played since I've been here. You've got to consider the opposition we were up against. They were second in the league before tonight and this is a tough place to come. We limited them to nothing in the first half while we created three or four unbelievable chances. Yet again, we should have been going in at half-time two goals up like we should have last Saturday. But on the whole, I'm really happy with a great away performance."
"I didn't feel any pressure going into this match. I told the players that in the team talk. I told them we had two challenges tonight: we've not won back-to-back games this season and our away form has been dreadful. If we want to get to where we want to, then we've got to improve on that. So I'm really pleased they accepted that challenge and delivered tonight."
"We've got a good group; really good lads in the dressing room and we've got some really good players. I'm not going to force the issue of possibly bringing new players in. We'll just take it as it comes...as long as the lads are giving me everything, which they did tonight, then I'm not going to change anything."
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