Clayton reflects on poor Matlock display
Matlock boss Adam Clayton felt several different factors led to the disappointing 4-0 defeat at home to Emley on Saturday as the Gladiators slipped to third in the NPL Division One East standings.
It was Saturday’s visitors who moved above them in the table on goal difference thanks to the margin of the victory, Clayton’s men never recovering from going an early goal down as Emley eventually eased to the three points in tough conditions.
And Clayton was disappointed with the manner of the defeat.
He said: “There were a few things really including conceding a goal early on to a good Emley team who came to sit and catch us on the break. If a team like that gets a goal early it gives them to impetus to sit in and not take as many risks.
"Then it was also the fact we just had a lack of quality in terms of the speed we moved the ball despite having got in some good areas in the first-half, and we probably needed a goal just to lift it.
"But we’ve not had many days like this – it was one where if something could go wrong today then it did, but we take it. It’s easy when you’re winning and we’re all happy and all best mates, but it’s about characters when you lose and we’ve reacted really well to losing so far this season.
"That’s the first time it’s really happened to us at home, so obviously it’s disappointing as we wanted to put a marker down and show where we are as we’d been in good form overall.”
Matlock now have two more home games in a row as they aim to wrestle back second spot behind runaway leaders Redcar who were 8-0 winners at Ashington last weekend.
On Saturday, Bishop Auckland are the visitors, sitting just above the relegation zone, whilst the team currently one place above them, Newton Aycliffe, will arrive next Tuesday night for a fixture which has already been postponed three times due to the weather.