Match Report: Matlock Town vs. Stamford, 22nd Oct 2011

Sam Mullarkey has signed for Corby but ex Daniels manager Graham Drury allowed him to play for Stamford in this important FA Trophy cup tie. Tommy Brookbanks first Stamford signing, Joe Pheasant, made his debut at centre back. Jake Gibson wasn’t 100% so Harry Deane started again.

It was a slow start with both sides trying to play football but defences held firm denying anything like a chance to either side. With nearly 20 minutes gone Danny Steadman played a great ball for Gary King to get behind the Matlock defence but he was brought down on the edge of the Matlock box. Lee Beeson’s free kick was blocked for a corner and then, from the corner, a looping King header was held on the line by Matlock keeper Jon Kennedy.

Danny Steadman was working hard in midfield but had taken a hard tackle on his ankle early in the game. With half an hour gone, he couldn’t continue and was replaced by Jake Gibson. Almost straight away, Joe Pheasant set up King to take the ball down the left wing but his low hard cross was blocked on the Matlock line and then cleared.

Stamford had two shouts for penalties when first a shot from King and then a follow up from David Staff hit a Matlock hand in the area but the referee waved away the appeals. The ball was straight up the other end and Ben Hunter beat two Stamford tackles before shooting across Mario Ziccardi from the edge of the box and into the far corner. The goal was harsh on Stamford who had matched Matlock up to then and had created the greater threat. Worse was to come.

First King was booked for dissent arguing about the handball and the fact that Matlock had then scored rather than a Stamford spot kick. A minute later he jumped into a two footed tackle and was shown a straight red card. Opinion whether it was justified was divided amongst the Stamford supporters. Having just argued with the referee to the point he was booked, he certainly wasn’t going to get the benefit of any doubt the referee might have had.

Stamford were rattled and Matlock took advantage. Ziccardi did well to turn away a Matlock shot but Adam Hewitt had to clear the follow up from Tyeisse Nightingale off the Stamford goal line.

Stamford could feel hard done by going in one down from a half neither side had created any real threat. They had come from behind at the break in their last three games but playing higher level opposition with only 10 men was going to make it a tough second half. Matlock immediately stepped up the pressure and Stamford could not get the ball out of their half. Only 7 minutes after the restart, Ben Algar curved the ball around Ziccardi and into the top corner from the edge of the box to make it 2-0.

A couple of minutes later Matt Cook set up what should have been a third with a short header back to Ziccardi. Hunter intercepted the ball but Ziccardi was out quickly to block his shot and then Hunter hit the loose ball across goal and past the far post.

Next a deep cross was headed goalwards by Nightingale but Ziccardi stopped the ball with his legs falling over as he did and then poked out a leg to clear the loose ball. A quick Matlock break gave Nightingale two Matlock players to pick out in the Stamford area. He picked Ian Holmes but faced with an open goal, he managed to head the ball onto the bar.

With 72 minutes on the clock, Matlock got the third goal which had threatened for so long and it was a 25 yard screamer from Oscar Radford which Ziccardi could only watch flash past him. Seconds later Stamford were down to nine men when Sam Mullarkey showed his frustration kicking out at Micky Harcourt.

3-0 up, Matlock were happy to see out the last minutes and the game petered out. It was a disappointing opening game for Tommy Brookbanks and his management team but, once Stamford had gone down to ten men, Matlock lifted their game and Stamford were never going to get back into this game.

Stamford: Mario Ziccardi, Matt Cook (Andy Toyne 66), Adam Hewitt (Daniel Barrett 62), David Staff, Miles Chamberlain, Joe Pheasant, Lee Beeson, Danny Steadman (Jake Gibson 28), Sam Mullarkey, Gary King, Harry Deane. Subs not used: Seth Burkett, Todd Whitby.

MOM: Mario Ziccardi. Harry Deane had a good game and never stopped working but without some more great saves from Mario, the score line could have been embarrassing.

Matlock: Jon Kennedy, Micky Harcourt, Lee Featherstone (Chris Bettney 69), Liam King, Adam Yates, Oscar Radford, Ben Hunter (Nathan Jones 69), Steve Warne (James Knowles 74), Ian Holmes, Tyeisse Nightingale, Ben Algar. Subs not used: Kris Bowler, Nick Buxton.

Attendance: 299