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Tuesday 7th September - Frickley Athletic 1-5 Matlock Town

DVD/Video available of this game - see Club Shop

Gary Hatto's stint as temporary manager got off to a terrible start as the Blues were comfortably beaten by Matlock Town. 

Hatto gave Nathan Hood his first start of the season after his return from holiday and brought Chris Fawcus onto the subs. bench.

The visitors took the lead with virtually the first attack of the game after just seventy seconds. A cross from the right was flicked on by former Frickley player Leroy Chambers for Simon Barraclought to sprint through a static Frickley defence and round Marc Shackelton before firing into an empty net. The Blues then forced a corner on the left which Hood took. The ball was returned to him and he immediately sent over an inviting cross which Steve Woolford headed just wide when well placed. At the other end Chambers turned at shot straight at Shackelton from 8 yards.

Richard Tracey had a great chance to level the scores on 25 minutes when Woolford sent him clear but, after controlling the ball well his shot from 18 yards was well saved by Gavin Saxby. On 37 minutes Matlock improved their lead. The Blues defence failed to deal with Kris Bowler's free-kick from the left with both Dale Rimmington and Matt Plant both failing to clear, with the ball falling to James Lukic who hit a great shot just inside the left hand post. The Blues defence were again at fault 6 minutes later when they again failed to cut out a routine left wing cross from Bowler and the ball struck Plant and fell kindly to Barraclough who gave Shackelton no chance from 6 yards.

At half time Fawcus replaced the injured Phil Lindley, with Craig Fisher moving into central defence and Rimmington switching to right full-back. The Blues started the second half with more purpose than they had the first, with Fawcus adding more drive and determination down the left, although the Blues' defence continued to look vulnerable to Matlock's swift attacks. However, Matlock scored a fourth goal on 61 minutes when Bowler struck a powerful 30 yard free-kick which the normally reliable Shackelton inadvertently let slip through his grasp and bounce over the line. Hatto introduced James Walker in place of Richard Tracey and he added more enthusiasm to the forward line, whilst Matlock brought on Chris James and Steve Taylor for Lee Handbury and Chambers.. 

The Blues had a good chance to get on the scoresheet on 70 minutes when Wayne Benn picked out Fisher with a free-kick from the left but Fisher's free header from 8 yards was straight at Saxby. On 82 minutes Shackelton was almost embarrassed again when a back-pass from Plant bounced over his foot as he tried to control the ball but, luckily, it trickled just wide of the right hand post. With 4 minutes remaining, the Blues finally managed a consolation goal. Walker laid the ball into the path of substitute LEE WILKINSON and he took the ball in his stride before hitting a low shot past Saxby from almost 25 yards. Two minutes later the Blues could have cut the deficit more as Wilkinson won the ball well on the left hand edge of the box. Mark Vickerage then picked up the ball and cut into the box  but his shot was deflected up into the air. Walker challenged Saxby for it, who got nowhere near the ball, which ran for Vickerage but he could only shoot into the side netting from a tight angle. As the game entered stoppage time Bowler got clear down the Matlock left and played the ball across the box to Barraclough who easily completed his hat-trick.

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