Tuesday 1st April 2014
by Ian Richardson

FC United of Manchester 2-1 Matlock Town FC
Saturday 29th March 2014, ko 3pm, Gigg Lane
EvoStik League, Premier Division

Matlock made league leaders FC United battle all the way for their eleventh successive league victory, with a spirited performance in front of a 2,044 crowd at Gigg Lane.

They silenced the large crowd by taking the lead through Danny Holland (left), on the stroke of half time, but United's Tom Greaves notched a second half brace to turn the game around, the result though being in doubt right until the very end.

Matlock gave a debut to on loan Chesterfield defender Jack Broadhead, in a 3-5-2 formation, with another deadline week signing, Jordan Jones, on the bench. The returning Massiah McDonald though has to wait until the home match with Witton Albion this weekend, as he is serving a two game ban.

Broadhead, Oscar Radford and Adam Yates patrolled the central area of the defence with James Ashmore and Joe Leesley acting as wing backs.

United made the start that was expected of a team on a ten match winning sequence by pushing Matlock back in the early stages.

Matlock survived a scramble in their six yard box on 3 minutes, but clear cut chances were not forthcoming until Matthew Wolfenden forced Jon Kennedy into a splendid diving save, to turn his shot behind just after the half hour mark.

From the corner, United lost defender Charlie Raglan with a head injury and had a like for like replacement in Adam Jones, who would play a pivotal part in the Reds' victory later in the contest.

The Gladiators grew into the match as half time approached. Shaun Tuton drove weakly at goalkeeper Dave Carnell and then from a free kick, Danny Holland shot into the side netting.

Kennedy (left), saved well again when Jerome Wright sold James Ashmore a dummy on the left, the goalkeeper clinging on to the fiercely driven cross shot.

But with the whistle for the interval looming, Joe Leesley, on his 20th birthday cleverly picked out Danny Holland on the left, who shrugged off Callum Byrne before firing across Carnell, to stun the vocal home crowd.

HT: 0-1

Unfortunately for Matlock though, United crucially equalised early in the second period when on 48 minutes, Lee Neville returned a Kennedy clearance into the mix and Greaves turned neatly to fire home.

1-1

Jones headed narrowly over from a corner shortly afterwards but then proved his worth at the other end with a magnificent saving challenge on Tuton, who had broken clear of the United rearguard.

Norton wasted a great chance for United, lifting the ball too high from close range but Greaves would make the decisive contribution on 64 minutes. Jones flicked a Brownhill throw towards the back post where United's leading scorer was lurking with intent to smack the ball gleefully home.

2-1

Again, Jones had to be at his best to deny Tuton as Matlock simply would not lie down. Then it was the turn of Neville to keep United in the lead as he hacked the ball away from Tuton and danger.

With the game in two nervous added minutes at the end, substitute Corey Gregory's shot was deflected wide before referee Hodskinson shrilled the final whistle to the relief of the home support.

FT: 2-1

FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER:
1 Dave Carnell, 2 Liam Brownhill, 3 Lee Neville, 4 Dean Stott, 5 Tom Davies,
6 Charlie Raglan (12 Adam Jones, 31), 7 Matthew Wolfenden,
8 Callum Byrne (15 Joe Fox, 88), 9 Mike Norton, 10 Jerome Wright,
11 Tom Greaves (16 Greg Daniels, 83)
Subs not used: 14 Astley Mulholland, 17 Jacob Hazel

MATLOCK TOWN:
1 Jon Kennedy, 2 Jack Broadhead, 3 Joe Leesley, 4 Martin Foster,
5 Oscar Radford, 6 Adam Yates, 7 Liam Needham, 8 James Ashmore,
9 Danny Holland (12 Lavell White, 88), 10 Shaun Tuton,
11 Cecil Nyoni (14 Corey Gregory, 69)
Subs not used: 15 Jordan Jones, 16 Alex Bradshaw, 17 Matty Leese

REFEREE: P Hodskinson (Preston)

ATTENDANCE: 2,044

BEST GLADIATOR: Jack Broadhead

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Related Links

Matlock Town Website