Gladiators and Whitby play out a goalless draw by the seaside

The hosts will probably have been the more frustrated side at the outcome, with them having created the better openings in what was a poor spectacle overall, but Matlock defended well and again had young goalkeeper Rogan Ravenhill to thank for helping preserve the point.

One save in the first-half in particular stood out from the Barnsley loanee, but he again looked assured all afternoon as the hosts struggled to break Matlock down.

It was the Gladiators who had the better of things in the opening 20 minutes, creating some good attacks but struggling to test home keeper Shane Bland.

Josh Smith saw an early shot blocked after good work by Sean Ekaluku, before Reece Kendall had a crack from distance with the ball bouncing up in front of Bland who could then only divert it onto a post and the hosts cleared.

That would be the closest Matlock would come all afternoon as Whitby then grew into the game, Nathan Thomas and Stephen Walker a particular threat, the latter shooting into the side netting on the half-hour mark.

Ravenhill then produced a superb stop to deny Alfie Doherty, as Thomas’s cross found him some 12 yards out but his powerful shot was somehow blocked low down by the Gladiators keeper as he scampered across goal, a strong hand diverting the ball up in the air before it was put behind for a corner.

The second-half saw Ravenhill on hand again to deny Lewis Hawkins from a tight angle, then a promising opening for Matlock saw sub Curtis Durose break into the penalty area but he mis-cued his shot at the key moment and Whitby cleared.

Walker saw a shot blocked by his own team-mate on 65 minutes as the hosts continued to look more of a threat, sub Sam Collins then seeing a goalbound shot blocked by Connor O’Grady.

Whitby’s Joe Gibson shot straight at Ravenhill, before Matlock nerves were left jangling in the last minute of stoppage time when a foul just a yard outside the penalty area and central to goal gave Whitby the chance to win the game, but Fletcher’s low drive was beaten away by Ravenhill who also gathered the rebound and the final whistle soon brought proceedings to an end.

A second draw on the bounce for Matlock continued to give them foundations as new boss Ryan Cresswell stamps his authority on the team, and whilst they struggled in attacking areas, keeping a clean sheet in the league for the first time since the opening day of the season was nevertheless another positive as they prepare for an FA Trophy test at Stourbridge on Saturday.