Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s Football Correspondent Arthur Inglis
Matlock Town produced a dominant display to progress in the FA Cup, seeing off Carlton Town with a comfortable 3–0 win at the Proctor Cars Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Gladiators set the tempo from the start and quickly put the visitors under pressure. Their positive approach paid off when Conor Washington opened the scoring midway through the first half, finishing neatly after good build-up play.
Washington doubled his tally before the interval, giving Matlock a commanding two-goal cushion heading into half time. Carlton, by contrast, struggled to create clear chances, with Matlock’s defence looking solid and goalkeeper Jim Pollard largely untroubled.
The second half saw the Gladiators maintain control, managing the game with maturity and continuing to carve out opportunities. The result was put beyond doubt late on when Diego De Girolamo added a third to round off an excellent afternoon for Adam Clayton’s side.
The win secures Matlock’s place in the next qualifying round of the FA Cup, extending their strong cup form this season. Attention now turns to Monday’s draw, when the Gladiators will discover their next opponents.
