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Monday 24th April - Matlock Town 1-2 Frickley Athletic

An 89th minute winner from Andy Evans earned the Blues three vital points as they came from behind to defeat Matlock Town 2-1 this evening. The home side took the lead through Simon Barraclough after 28 minutes but Lee Pugh equalised on 38 minutes. Both Alex Callery and Evans hit the woodwork before Evans snatched a dramatic victory which guarantees the Blues a top 2 finish.

With Steve Heath and Ritchie Butler picking up injuries Gary Marrow replaced Butler with Calum Selby, although Butler was considered fit enough for a place on the bench. Mark Ward came in to partner Rob Pell up front as the Blues reverted to a 4-4-2 formation in heath's absence.

The home side started the game well with Barraclough forcing a good save from Gary Ingham with a header after just 9 minutes. Shortly afterwards Steve Warne picked up a wayward pass outside the Frickley box to beat Selby and fire in an 18 yard shot which Ingham pushed over the crossbar. It came as no real surprise when the home side finally made the break-through on 28 minutes when a good run down the Matlock left by Kris Bowler saw him pull the ball back for Barraclough to score from 12 yards. This set-back seemed to sting Frickley into action and their first threatening attack brought an equaliser on 38 minutes. Pell challenged 'keeper Andy Richmond for a through-ball and won the ball cleanly before laying it into the path of LEE PUGH who rifled in a low 25 yard shot which flew into the bottom left hand corner of the net. This brought a sustained period of Frickley pressure up to half time with Steve Robinson forcing a save out of Richmond from 18 yards whilst on the stroke of half time Alex Callery hit the crossbar from inside the box and Pell put the rebound in the net only for the assistant referee to signal for offside as the ball rebounded off the crossbar.

Within a minute of the start of the second half Callery's free-kick from the right was cleared as far as Pugh who hit a first timje volley from 25 yards which just cleared the crossbar. Matlock were soon on the attack again and ought to have done better when Barraclough broke down the left to cut the ball back for Ian Clarke but he blazed well over the bar from just inside the box. Ten minutes later Barraclough repeated the feat down the right hand side and again cut the ball back for Clarke but this time he shot tamely into Ingham's arms. The Blues started to throw men forward was the game entered the last 15 minutes and they came agonisingly close to taking the lead on 75 minutes when substitute Evans rose at the near post to meet Callery's left wing corner but his header came back off the crossbar. Callery then picked out Evans with a great ball in from the right but Evans failed to control the ball as he broke clear, allowing Richmond to block the ball at his feet. The home side soon broke with Bowler forcing another good save out of Ingham, this time from close range at his near post but on 89 minutes the Blues scored the crucial goal. With a Robinson long-throw being cut out the ball fell to Pugh on the right of the box who chipped the ball to the far post where Chris Adam headed back across goal for EVANS to steer the ball in from close range for the winner.