PREVIEW: Matlock meet Alfreton in Derbyshire Senior Cup

Matlock Town play Alfreton Town this Tuesday night at the Proctor Cars Stadium in the Quarter-Final of the Derbyshire Senior Cup.

The Gladiators will be looking to put their dismal league form behind them and cause an upset in a competition that they have won ten times in their history.

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The Opposition

Alfreton Town play in the National League North (one tier above the Gladiators) and currently sit mid-table in 15th position. After a bright start to the season, Alfreton’s form has dropped significantly over the past couple of months. In their most recent match, they lost 3-0 away at Darlington in the league.

Alfreton Town are known as the Reds and were formed back in 1959. The Reds play their home games at the Impact Arena which has a capacity of 3,600. Their most recent trophy victory came towards the end of last season when they won the Derbyshire Senior Cup. Alfreton Town have also won the Derbyshire Senior Cup ten times in their history.

Alfreton Town’s manager is Billy Heath and the Reds come into this local derby cup tie with only one win in their last six games.

Their record attendance came in 1960 when 5,023 people watched the Reds play Matlock Town in the old Central Alliance league.

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One to Watch

Amari Morgan-Smith will be a key player to watch out for this Tuesday night. The 30 year old forward has scored an impressive 17 goals so far this season including two in Alfreton’s last four games.

Morgan-Smith has played for the likes of Stockport County, Oldham Athletic and Cheltenham Town in his career. He joined the Reds in July 2019 and also has international experience with two caps for England C.

Amari was part of the Cheltenham Town team that won the National League in 2016 and also won the FA Trophy with York City in 2017.

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Team News

Marcus Marshall will be available for selection despite the red card he received last weekend against Scarborough Athletic. Jordan Sinnott is still a doubt after the groin strain he picked up during the Integro League Cup victory over Basford United. Jack Rea is also a concern after being substituted for the second match in a row due to an ankle problem.

Craig King, Nathan Whitehead and Ben Edgson remain as long-term injury absentees.

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Previous Meeting

The last time these two local rivals met was in the semi-final of the Derbyshire Senior Cup last season. The Gladiators lost the match 4-2 at the Proctor Cars Stadium. Jonny Margetts scored both goals for Matlock Town and Adam Yates received a red card in front of a crowd of 371.