Matlock Town v Worksop Town - Under 19 League Cup

'Gladiators ... are you ready!?'

Monday 26th October 2009. Windsor Foods Under 19 League Cup
Causeway Lane, Matlock

Matlock Town (1) 3 (Joe Byetheway, Jerome Wilkes, Dwayne Wiley)
Worksop Town (0) 0

Admission £2. Programme free. Attendance 67
Attendance verified by the author John Scott Lawton
The first of three encounters at different levels that will be played between these two sides over a short space of time (the first teams play at Ilkeston on Wednesday night and the Under 19's are back here at Causeway Lane next week, for a league fixture) started with Matlock looking like they had decided to come straight out off the starting blocks and into the Tigers youngsters ... and by the time Joe BTW put them ahead they might have already scored three, but for some off target shooting from their number 10 (Wiley) and a chance coming back off the upright.

Shortly before half time, Worksop were nearly on level terms but with the Gladiators keeper beaten all ends up, a defender got his body behind the goal bound shot and blocked it on the line. It looked from where I was stood that he had used his arm to prevent a goal but the referee waved play on and linesman kept his flag down.
During a break in play (unfortunately Matlock's number three had fallen heavily and hurt his back and had to go off) I said to the Linesman "You could see that was an handball from the chip shop queue up the road!" to which he smiled and replied "I was a bit closer than that and it was his chest, sideways on, he twisted well and avoided contact with his arm."
Hmm, that's me told then.
In the second half Wilkes put the home side 2-0 up, but then Worksop had their best spell of the game, but found the Matlock keeper to be in inspired form. He commands his back line very well and patrols his area confidently - maybe not the tallest of keepers you'll ever see but there is time for a growth spurt yet.
Inevitably given the run of bad luck that is permeating its way through all things Worksop Town at the moment, this purple patch of possession and all out attack for the young Tigers ended up with a goal ... for Matlock!
Wiley finally put the ball away to top off an hard working performance.

The times they are a changin' ...

One of the greatest pleasures of visiting Causeway Lane over the years was a visit to the old club house (with the football memorabilia plastered all over the walls) and it's terracing outside where you could have a pint (or three) while watching the game and indulge in friendly, though often quite lively, banter with the locals. But it has now been demolished along with the old main stand that stood adjacent to it.
Both structures used to stand behind where the new dug outs are now (see picture below) in that space to the right of the modern tea hut and first aider room ...

... and they now look like this

A new stand will rise in the place of the demolished facilties as Matlock Town redevelop their old, but very charming ground on Causeway Lane - see artists impression.
But despite the plans to make the ground all modern and up to date, the Gladiators supporters are still steeped in humility, realism, friendliness ... and all a bit old and traditional looking around the edges too ;-)