Matlock boss Paul Phillips laments slow start after defeat at South Shields

Paul Phillips felt the best side won at South Shields on Tuesday night.

The top-of-the-table clash saw Shields win 3-1 to move to the summit, Ioan Evans’ first-half goal the best the Gladiators could offer.

And Phillips felt a poor start was key.

He said: "The best team won. We didn’t start well enough – playing against the wind in the first-half we struggled to get out and were put on the back foot too easily and although we created one or two chances, you’ve got to take those when you come here.

"We hit the post after we scored and then Reece Webb-Foster had a great chance that he should score.

"I can’t remember Joe Young having to make a lot of saves but when they’ve got in on goal they’ve either scored or made us deal with it and I just think when we got in behind them the amount of times we did, especially in the first-half, we were a bit wasteful.

"We were the better team in the second-half for 20/25 minutes without really pressing home our advantage and that was the difference.”

Phillips added that the absence of suspended defender Ryan Qualter was a big factor in the defeat.

He said: “It would be a blow to anyone but we’ve got three centre-halves. Vocally Ryan brings a lot to the party and I think Alex Wiles was a big miss too, and when you haven’t got Reece Kendall as a wing-back and you’re scratching around for someone to play on that side it’s a massive ask although I thought Callum Chippendale was outstanding.”

Matlock are back on the road this weekend as they head to face an FC United of Manchester side who sit eight points behind the Gladiators in sixth place, two points outside the play-off places and having played three games more than Phillips’ men.

The Reds drew 2-2 at Scarborough Athletic in front of over 1,700 people last weekend in one of only three games played in the NPL Premier Division due to the wet weather, all of them on 3G pitches as Buxton beat Gainsborough Trinity 1-0 to move above Matlock in the league standings having played a game more than the Gladiators, and Morpeth Town drawing 2-2 at home to Hyde United.