by Chris Wood for North Derbyshire Radio. Photo Credit to Michael South Photography
After a slightly crazy week off the field, the Gladiators successfully put all the critics to bed and let the football speak for them on New Year’s Day. This game was a welcome distraction from a week off the field that included manager Adam Clayton being dismissed by mutual consent, only to be reappointed 2 days later (albeit with a different assistant) making national press when the news broke on Monday (29/12/25).
Matlock Town were further boosted by welcome returns from injury of Liam Ravenhill to the starting 11 and Tom Elliott fit enough for the bench, neither of which having featured for the last month or so.
The game got off to a very positive start for the home fans, as after just 5 minutes the hosts took the lead. The aforementioned Ravenhill picked the ball up on the edge of the box, before working it down the right with Eratt-Thompson. The low cross came in, finding Sault who attempted to flick towards goal. The Silsden keeper kept it out but it only went as far as Wilson who made no mistake from 12 or so yards out. A welcome return to the scoresheet for the Gladiators’ wide man, having not scored since November.
Matlock continued to press and try and create opportunities with a much more positive and forward thinking style of football than was on show in the Boxing Day defeat to Ossett. However, the visitors were by no means out of it and continued to try and capitalise on the counter attack. After 18 minutes, they almost had their own breakthrough as Wiley made an untimely mistake at the back. Silsden worked the ball out wide before a low cross was fired across the Gladiators’ box, one of those that could have gone absolutely anywhere, but thankfully it came to nothing.
This did seem as though it was merely a blip though, as just 2 minutes later the hosts doubled their lead. Milambo lofted a cross from the left hand side that looked like it was going to be a simple catch for the Silsden keeper, but Thompson had other ideas. In a slightly odd state of events, the winger got there in front of the keeper, but in trying to bring it under control, managed to spin the ball into the back of the net! One of those slightly freak goals that do happen occasionally, but no complaints from those in the blue and white!
Matlock continued to turn the screw in a first half which had a lot of the performances that have been missing in recent matches. They were almost high and dry by half time as Washington’s low cross found the feet of Wilson, but the winger’s effort was just wide of the mark.
Silsden, to their credit, by no means rolled over though. They continued to try and create opportunities and hit Matlock on the counter-attack whenever the opportunity arose. A minute after Wilson’s chance, without a good save from home keeper Dylan Wharton, the deficit would have been halved at the break.
Half-Time – Matlock Town 2-0 Silsden
The game continued in much the same way after the restart, with the hosts trying to create chances and the visitors refusing to know when they’re beat and trying to fashion chances of their own, particularly on the counter-attack.
It took until the midway point of the second half for there to be another break through. On 67 minutes, Washington found himself some space in the box, the keeper saved well but could only parry as far as Thompson who made no mistake from the back post for his second of the game.
Finding themselves three goals to the good, the hosts naturally took their feet off the gas a little towards the end of the game, still trying to create chances but not with the same intensity that they had had for the first ¾ of the encounter. Full credit to Silsden though who, despite the scoreline, kept chipping away and trying to fashion chances of their own, going close on several occasions.
On the 89th minute, the icing on the cake arrived as new signing Alfie Atherton (signed on a short term loan from Sheffield United on New Year’s Day) cut inside the left and fired a beautiful curling shot from 20 yards out that dipped beautifully under the crossbar! Seriously, if you can find a way to watch this on the club’s social media, I highly recommend it!
Full-Time – Matlock Town 4-0 Silsden
A much needed, positive win to start the year off, especially considering all of the potentially negative press being banded about after the manager chaos earlier in the week. Add this to the welcome return of a few long-term injured players and it would seem that the Gladiators’ fans have quite a lot to feel positive about going in to the new year and the second half of the season.
Matlock are next in action on the 6th of January as they host Newton Aycliffe in a rearranged game, with kick-off being at 7:45pm
Matlock XI – 1. Wharton, 2. Eratt-Thompson, 3. Milambo, 4. Bachirou, 5. Mbayo, 6. Wiley, 7. Thompson (K. Clayton 76’), 8. Ravenhill (C) (Flanagan 78’), 9. Washington (Elliott 76’), 10. Sault (Atherton 68’), 11. Wilson
Silsden XI – 1. Brown, 2. Wilkinson (Hunt 85’), 3. Carroll, 4. Cromack, 5. Sikora, 6. Coates (C), 7. Maltby, 8. Buchan, 9. Price (Cissa 81’), 10. Brooksbank (Robinson 82’), 11. Hyde (Jeffrey 74’)
