Matlock Town strengthen with two new signings
Matlock Town have welcomed two new faces to their squad as they look to build on a promising start to the new season.
The Gladiators, who have won two of their opening three games in the NPL East Division, have completed the permanent signing of forwards Manasse Mampala and Zak Goodson.
Mampala arrives in Derbyshire having left Ashton United at the end of last season.
A product of the Everton youth academy, who he joined at the age of 15, Mampala has gone on to spend time with a number of clubs in both the Football League and non-league pyramid.
Most recently, he played a starring role for Emley during their promotion-winning campaign last season, scoring seven times in 35 appearances.
The former Hyde United and Marine forward subsequently moved to Ashton United, where he spent the final weeks of last season.
Matlock say Mampala will bring "strength, power and intelligent hold-up play" to a forward line which has scored five times in the last three games.
Also completing a move to the Proctor Cars Stadium is Goodson, who finished last season as top scorer for Quorn.
He scored 35 times in 83 appearances during his time at the Methodists but will now move onto pastures new, having been described as "one of the most exciting forwards at Step 3" by his new club.
Four years ago, he also played a starring role in the promotion-winning campaign of Ilkeston Town - who were owned at the time by now-Matlock chairman David Hilton - by scoring 22 times in 42 appearances as they clinched the NPL Midlands Division title.
Both players could feature for their new club for the first time away at Ossett United on Tuesday night.
They aren't the only new faces to have been brought in over recent days, following on from the signing of young forwards Charlie Hughes and Dean Gardner on loan from Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United respectively.
The pair both featured during Saturday's 2-0 win at Morpeth Town, having been announced in the lead-up to that game.