Battling Gladiators test McClaren's troops

Matlock Town manager Mark Atkins will be looking forward to his EVO-STIK League side’s second friendly of their pre-season warm-up campaign after seeing his team give Derby County and former England manager Steve McClaren a game on Thursday night.

A crowd of 1,477 saw the Gladiators lose 1-0 to a full Rams first team squad in a stern run-out for the Championship outfit. Craig Forsyth, pictured in action at the Autoworld Arena, netted the first-half strike that proved to be the difference between the sides as Derby used the occasion to unveil their new strip for next season.

After seeing his side turn in an excellent performance against McClaren’s men, Atkins will be hoping for a repeat performance when the EVO-STIK League Premier Division club hosts League Two Chesterfield next Wednesday night.

After clashing with the Spireites on July 9, the Gladiators go on to host Sheffield Wednesday and Grimsby Town later this month.

For a full list of summer friendlies involving EVO-STIK League clubs, visit the fixtures pages under the 'match info' tab on the home page.

Image courtesy of www.dcfc.co.uk