Bigger picture keeps Rusbury smiling

Matlock Town's joint boss Dave Rushbury is a relatively happy man despite seeing his side knocked out of the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League's Doodson Sports Cup on Tuesday night, writes Ian Richardson.

After earning only their second win on the road at the weekend at Stamford AFC thanks to Danny Holland's tenth goal of the campaign, the Gladiators lost 1-0 at the Autoworld Arena but Rushbury and joint manager Martin Foster are looking at the bigger picture after putting out a youthful side against the Robins.

Town were beaten by a 10th minute Michael Williams goal but Rusbury, pictured, reckons the joint managers have plenty to keep them smiling this week by their side's second half display in particular as they prepare for a tough trip to third placed Curzon Ashton this weekend.

Rusbury said: "We put out a young side and said to them can you grab a shirt? At half time we would probably have said no, we made Ilkeston, who are a good side, look better by not pressing them. We stood off them and sides of that quality will pass the ball around you. They did, they scored and in the end it proved decisive.

"But once we got hold of the game we were the better side and in the second half Jon Kennedy had very little to do. The back three were magnificent. It was both a solid and a positive second half performance. We didn't create very much at all in the first half but we looked more dangerous after the interval.

"These young lads will need experienced lads to come in alongside them and they'll develop. The crowd too were very supportive, I think they understood what we were trying to do."

Rushbury reckons Matlock's priority now is the need to be more clinical in front of goal. "The killer instinct needs to be in the whole team, not in just two or three of them," said Rusbury. "Players are sometimes slow to react and that can be the difference between scoring a goal or not. Good teams finish off their chances.

"We're not as clinical as we'd all like to be, but it's up to us as managers and the lads to develop that and it'll take time. Had we taken our chances at Stamford we wouldn't have been sweating on Jon Kennedy's penalty save and fine stops at the end to ensure our win."

He added: "It was an awesome performance at Stamford and for the first time in ages we had a bit of luck but we deserved it. We're looking forward to playing Curzon and Rushall for we're doing well and making life hard for teams. We need to move forward and carry on accumulating points."

Changes are certain at Curzon where Oscar Radford, Micky Harcourt and Danny Holland should all return but Corey Gregory is expected to be missing for two to three weeks with shoulder ligament damage which forced his 16th minute withdrawal at Stamford.

* Striker Andre Johnson joined the Gladiators last Friday after scoring sixteen goals for Worksop Town in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division so far this season. The 19-year-old, who is at Matlock on a dual registration basis with the Tigers, was formerly at Derby County Academy and started his first game for the Gladiators in midweek.

Image courtesy of www.derbytelegraph.co.uk

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