​New boy and old timer score in Matlock Town win

The damage was done in the first half when Curtis Durose notched his first goal in Matlock colours before Adam Yates hit his 18th for the Gladiators, Nik Evangelinos pulling one back for the Dolly Blues midway through the second half to set up a nervous finale.

A good 738 crowd settled to watch Matlock attack the visitors from the off with wide men Tavonga Kuleya and Durose prominent.

Inside the first couple of minutes Durose drove down the throat of City custodian Tom Stewart before the vastly experienced David Norris shot goalwards for City as Saul Deeney made an easy claim.

Matlock quickly responded through Durose who cut in from the right to hit a left footer that swerved wide of the far post, then Town came within a lick of paint of breaking the deadlock on nine minutes when Joe West’s piledriver cannoned back off the crossbar.

Matlock went in front in the 22nd minute as Kuleya advanced and had the calmness to slot the most inviting passes into the run of Durose who tucked his shot under Stewart.

City would strike the bar three minutes later from Bradley Carroll’s header and the Dolly Blues’ positive response to falling behind was amplified by Deeney pulling off a cracking save from the unattended Evangelinos at the far post.

The Kuleya/Durose combination again nearly bore fruit, the final strike from Durose taking a deflection and the sting allowing Stewart a more comfortable stop.

But with the contest into four minutes of stoppage time at the end of the half, Matlock doubled their lead and it would prove to be the decider as City failed to deal with a corner from the left, Kuleya’s attempted back heel was blocked but Yates was on hand to force the ball in from a couple of yards.

Matlock had the better of the opening second-half exchanges, a vital interception by Tyler Hill denying Durose, then an Olly Clark header was too high, though Deeney had to pull off another great save from Evangelinos.

Then it was Stewart’s turn to excel, Durose being excellently denied after Clark’s headed assist had created the opportunity. Clark then headed over when well placed, time would prove later that Matlock badly needed that third goal.

Kuleya wanted to provide it, cutting in from the left but his effort drifted comfortably wide before City had home nerves jangling when Evangelinos scored a personally well-deserved goal, finding space down the middle to turn Nathan Whitehead and place his finish beyond Deeney.

Matlock had 23 minutes plus stoppage time to hold on, that task might have been made markedly easier almost immediately when Scott Boden was clear of the City back line and onside due to the ball coming off a visiting defender. Everyone stopped and from a Matlock perspective groaned when his lob on the turn beat Stewart but bounced agonisingly wide.

Then it was backs to the wall stuff for Matlock as City threw all they had at the Gladiators. Carroll volleyed harmlessly too high in the 75th minute but apart from a 90th minute penalty box scramble, City failed to create anything clear cut as Yates and his defensive colleagues rose to the task magnificently to see the game out.