Mixed feelings for Clayton after Matlock draw at Guiseley
Adam Clayton had mixed feelings after seeing his Matlock Town side earn a useful point at Guiseley on Saturday.
The hosts, firmly in the play-off places, needed a goal nine minutes into second-half stoppage time to take a share of the spoils after Matlock had led early on through Montel Gibson.
And whilst Clayton was left surprised by how much time was added on by the referee that ultimately played a big part in the result, he was still pleased with the point.
He said: “If you look at it without watching the game and see we’ve gone to third in the league and got a point, it looks fine.
"I thought first-half we were very good and I’m so proud of the lads’ effort, work rate and quality.
"In the second-half, I don’t know where the ref has got 11 minutes added on time from but it was a really solid performance and we had three or four breakaways in the second-half where we could have got a goal to kill them off.
"In the end it was one action at the end of the game where there was a mistake or a deflection on the goal but that doesn’t define the performance.
"So we go again. It’s a good point and if we go and win our home games it’s a really good point so I’m proud of the lads and happy with the performance.”
Attention now turns to a home game with Morpeth Town this weekend as Matlock aim to remain outside the relegation zone from here on in.
Morpeth are now ten points outside the play-off places with five games to play, meaning their chances of a top five spot are ebbing away.
But it will be a tough encounter for the Gladiators as they look to make it three games unbeaten under Clayton since he took over from Ryan Cresswell.
He said: “The buy in from the lads to what Steve [Eyre] and I have been doing has been unbelievable. They’ve created their own intensity in the sessions that we’ve done, so I’m going to ask them to bring it every week as everyone’s effort levels are through the roof and we’ll be giving it a right go until we’re safe.
"Our squad is a top six squad when it’s playing well and full of confidence, so we won’t go in to any game fearing the opponent.”