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Leigh Genesis v Matlock Town - full report
Leigh Genesis 0-2 Matlock Town
At long last Matlock recorded back to back league victories and their first double of the season thanks to goals in each half from Ross Hannah and Danny Wood at the impressive Leigh Sports Village on Saturday.
The vital three points for Matlock left both Whitby, who lost at Buxton and Witton who drew at Worksop, with it all to do ahead of their meeting in North Yorkshire on Wednesday night.
Leigh are now relegated, but Cammell Laird may yet join them due to ground suitability issues pending an appeal by the Birkenhead club.
It was same again from Matlock boss Mark Atkins after the 2-0 home win over Hednesford on Easter Monday.
In the early stages though the Gladiators looked nervous in a carbon copy of Leigh's visit to Causeway Lane in January when Genesis looked the more likely to open the scoring.
A second minute corner caused a scramble on the edge of the visitors six yard box which eventually saw the ball unconvincingly cleared. Then midfielder Steve Flitcroft dragged a hot wide from twenty five yards before Lee Featherstone's important intervention halted Jack Dorney.
Steve Warne drove too high on seven minutes as Matlock stemmed the early tide of pressure towards their goal.
Danny Davidson soon tried to release Hannah but overhit his through pass.
Featherstone again did well to stop Karl Brown at the expense of a corner as Genesis, knowing that they simply had to win to have any chance of staying up, looked for the breakthrough.
Matlock then won a corner of their own with Ashley Foyle completely missing a free headed chance which then fell to Hannah who steered wide. Jamie Jackson won a free kick after Kris King brought him down but Danny Davidson's header lacked both power and accuracy.
But there were signs of Matlock building up a head of steam and Danny Wood, Matlock's best midfielder on the day, won a fine challenge to slip a pass to Hannah.
The former Belper striker turned only for his final effort to lack pace.
Soon afterwards Hannah had a goal disallowed after Davidson's flick had seen him stray slightly offside, but in the 41st minute his persistence paid off.
HANNAH's willingness to chase almost everything was rewarded when home custodian Dean Porter failed to claim on the corner of his penalty area and from the tightest of angles on the right, the finish from the Gladiators top scorer was class as he measured his shot superbly just inside the far upright.
Matlock ended the half on a high with Hannah again turning well to fire inches wide and then volleying too high at he far post.
There was then an opening for Warne after he had linked with Jackson but Matlock were perhaps guilty of trying to walk the ball in.
The interval perhaps came at a bad time for Matlock who switched off momentarily soon after the resumption.
Jordan Stepien skipped around Paul Pettinger on the right but Foyle was alert to head the cross over his own bar with Tom Ince looking to pounce behind him.
Jackson, quiet up to now, then showed his true capabilities, dancing past Kris King before setting up Hannah whose shot was charged down before Davidson's follow up suffered the same fate.
Leigh were still in it though but were not quite the threat they had been in the opening twenty odd minutes.
Pettinger, never seriously extended all afternoon, held a gentle attempt from Brown before Andy Heald drove comfortably wide.
Matlock needed that second goal and nearly got it as Davidson's shot was well blocked.
When Jackson lost possession a touch too easily, Ryan Laight did well to get his head to a lofted pass but still Ince shot goalwards but past the post.
The Gladiators nerves were eventually eased when Warne, in the move of the match, scurried down the right, along the by-line before his pin point low cross was despatched into the roof of the net by WOOD on 69 minutes.
Hannah and Davidson both came close to making it three but Leigh had a goal chalked off as Ince was ruled offside as he headed in a free kick from substitute Paul Howarth from point blank range on 76 minutes.
But by now the points were Matlock's and the 100 Town fans sang and cheered knowing they were well on the way to safety.
The journey is not yet complete though and they will want to finish their league season on a high against Ashton United at Causeway Lane this coming weekend.
Scott Brough was again tidy at right back in a defence which on the whole remained sturdy.
While the midfield didn't quite function as well as it did against Hednesford, Danny Wood's workrate and goal gave him star status just ahead of Hannah in attack who again well deserved the applause he received when substituted late on.
MATLOCK TOWN: Pettinger, Brough, Featherstone, King, Foyle, Laight, Jackson (Clarke 70), Warne, Davidson, Hannah (Benger 87), Wood (Yates 90) Other subs: Cropper, Buxton.
REFEREE: M Ackerman (Manchester).
ATTENDANCE: 405
STAR MAN: Danny Wood.
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Weather for Bakewell
Friday 25 May 2012
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