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Saturday 24th February - Frickley Athletic 2-0 Matlock Town

Seasoned supporters will attest that Frickley always play better against good teams, and this fact was accentuated when the Blues struck in each half to account for Matlock in the UniBond Premier Division.

While it's the Gladiators who are vying for a championship play-off spot, anyone watching the match would surely have believed it was the home side for they produced a competent, polished team performance to exasperate the opposition, who were reduced to ten men in stoppage time.

Ben Eastwood headed just over following a cross by Chris Hilton in the sixth minute, while Paul Palmer tested Andy Richmond with a low shot before striking a 25 yard left foot drive which went just wide of the far post.

In the 18th minute Calum Selby picked out Lee Morris on the left and he cut inside before lashing a shot which Richmond was unable to hold, allowing Danny Walsh to dart in and put away the rebound to earn Frickley a lead they deserved.

Palmer and Scott Turner both went close for the Blues before the home goal survived a narrow escape in the 38th minute, Jon Hood losing the ball in the six yard area but Kris Bowler's header was cleared off the line by Steve Robinson.

Selby was harshly penalised for alleged hands on the edge of the Blues penalty area in stoppage time before the interval, but Steve Warne lifted the free-kick over the target.

Two minutes after the resumption, Frickley had increased their lead, Walsh flicking a pass to Robinson on the right and he whipped in a pinpoint cross for Lee Morris to head in at the far post.

Ian Holmes had an effort blocked on the home line in the 53rd minute, and Hood got down well to block a low 20 yard drive from Bowler with his left hand nine minutes later.

A free-kick by Dean Jones was headed past Richmond by Morris in the 72nd minute but blocked on the line and Ben Eastwood had a shot diverted into the keeper's hands.

A minute later, Walsh threaded a pass through to Paul Palmer whose neat flick was fingertipped off the line by Richmond.

Matlock realised any reward was slipping from their grasp but Frickley were resolute, Hood punching away a 20 yard free-kick from Bowler in the 80th minute and tipping an angled cross by Warne round the far post.

The visitors lost their cool, and Warne received a red card for dissent in stoppage time.