Matlock Town (A) – Match Preview

There is not one team in this division that can be classed as an easy side to face, but there are definitely difficult ones, and Matlock are certainly in that category.

To start on a good note, bar us losing and Bradford Park Avenue winning by 23 goals, we will end the weekend at the top of the league.

However, defeat to Matlock would also make things much more precarious, as the Gladiators would then be just a single point away from us as we creep towards the halfway mark of the season.

9 games to go until that stage, mind you, and that means plenty of time for things to change, be it for better or worse.

Our opponents were relegated from the Premier Division last season, but have not shown any signs of faltering any further, as they have collected 26 points in 12 games, including a 7-1 win against Pontefract Collieries, a 3-1 win away to Emley and also a 3-0 victory against Carlton Town in the FA Cup.

Matlock are also still unbeaten at home in the league, their only defeat at the Proctor Cars Stadium being a 2-1 defeat to Basford in the FA Trophy.

They also have a familiar name as manager, with former Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Clayton now acting as player-manager at the club.

All in all, as former FA Trophy winners, our opponents have the experience, quality, and history to be fighting for success in any league, and it should make tomorrow an exciting affair.

As for us, well 2025 has been one incredible year for the Steelmen.

The first few months saw us get over the line and secure promotion, and the recent few months have seen us thoroughly storm ahead in the league, picking up some highly memorable wins, including the ever-famous 10-1 victory against Silsden.

Our record this calendar year sees us on 28 games played, 23 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats. Additionally, we have scored 96 goals and conceded just 17 in the process.

4 goals before December 31st and we hit 100…not exactly the trickiest of tasks, is it.

Our tough win on Wednesday was one that brought some elements of realism back into the Steelmen schedule, but it also shows that we are a squad that will fight till the end.

Another clean sheet as well, with Joshua Mazfari keeping his 6th of the season.

Attendances also have slowly been rising this month, going from 279 against Pontefract, to 364 against Grimsby.

Wednesday night, though, saw the club break a record as we had our highest midweek attendance on record, bringing in 386 fans as we faced Ashington.

I have also noticed a rather interesting trend with our matches, which is when we score once, we almost always score again within a few minutes.

Against Newton Aycliffe, Adam Boyes bragged a brace in 2 minutes, and against Grimsby Borough that feat occurred 3 times.

Oscar Fletcher scored his first 2 goals in the 43rd and 44th, then got his next 2 goals in the 51st and 54th, before Louis Johnson bagged his brace in the 80th and 83rd.

Hopefully, this will happen again for us tomorrow, but at a base level the hope is just to win.

If you’re making the journey down to Matlock tomorrow then I will see you there, but if not then there will be live match updates on our X (Twitter) page.

Up the Steelmen!