Depleted Matlock earn a point against Dabbers

Reece Kendall netted the equaliser for Matlock.

The Gladiators fell behind to a 45th minute penalty but Reece Kendall’s second goal of the season saw Matlock back on level terms shortly after the resumption against a determined Nantwich side, who despite being fifth bottom before kick off, gave a good account of themselves to deserve their point.

Top scorer Alex Wiles had an opportunity for a seventh goal of the season early on when from Kallum Mantack’s cross from the right, he missed his kick and the chance for an early Matlock lead quickly evaporated.

Nantwich had a sniff of a chance on 16 minutes when 17-year-old James Plant, who had an outstanding game, shot across the face of the goal from a tight angle after Matty Bell had played him in.

Wiles drove fiercely too high as Matlock replied again then Nantwich’s Theo Stair headed narrowly wide from the flag kick.

Nantwich edged in front as the half-time whistle was imminent. Goalkeeper Jim Pollard pulled off a magnificent save to keep out a Chris Sang header, but seconds later Ioan Evans lunged in on Morrison to concede an obvious and needless penalty. Pollard again did well, getting a hand to Jamie Menagh’s shot but the ball nestled in the corner.

Five minutes after the restart though, Kendall, free as a bird, rose to gracefully head in a Jordan Barnett free-kick.

A scramble then saw Wiles shoot goalwards, his effort hitting the grounded goalkeeper Louis Gray and looping over the bar.

Nantwich broke to win a corner from which Troy Bourne headed too high, but the game was finely poised and could have gone either way.

Nantwich were thankful for Gray’s quick reactions to a deflected Barnett free-kick that could so easily have found the net before Dom McHale tried his luck from distance, a cracking 30-yarder that flew inches over Gray’s bar.

Sub Jordon Slew saw two efforts blocked as Matlock tried to reward a season’s best crowd of 872 with a winner but they lost Wiles to injury with 14 minutes left.

Nantwich could have sneaked back in front with six minutes left, Sang getting the wrong side of Kendall but shooting harmlessly into the side netting with only Pollard to beat and in the end the draw was a fair result.