Treatment room blues for Matlock

The treatment room at the Reynolds Stadium continues to have it's fair share of takers and two more Gladiators joined the injury list in last weekend's 2-2 draw at Bradford Park Avenue.

Full back Kris Witcombe was forced off in the second half with a damaged shoulder, initially feared to be broken until a hospital visit back in Derbyshire revealed just bad bruising.Disappointingly new winger Craig Nelthorpe's Matlock debut lasted barely half an hour as a recurrence of a hamstring problem forced him back to the dressing room. Both players look like being on the sidelines for a number of weeks.

They join full back Oscar Radford and Gareth Davies(hamstring), Ben Algar (leg) and Ian Holmes (knee) while TJ Nightingale (ankle) and Kris Bowler (back) played on at the Horsfall Stadium simply because Matlock needed them to. Even Nathan Joynes is donning a substitute's shirt for the Matlock cause despite probably requiring knee surgery once he has had his scan.

Bowler, Nightingale and Bowler will probably be fit for this weekend's trip to Stocksbridge and there was some light at the end of the tunnel when Micky Harcourt came through twenty minutes without any ill effects. Liam King looks certain to be recalled after sitting out on Saturday through suspension.

Matlock led 2-0 at the interval and 2-1 going into stoppage time against a powerful Avenue side who had won the last seven games against their visitors. In spite of relinquishing their strong position, boss Mark Atkins was pleased with the performance.

"I think it was a point gained saying we went there with a depleted squad and picked up more injuries during the game. We'd have taken a point beforehand and while it was disappointing to lose the lead and concede so late, it was a very good result. We were under a lot of pressure against a very good side."

Atkins was full of praise for striker Nightingale, scorer of both Town goals, and goalkeeper Jon Kennedy, who again gave a goalkeeping masterclass with a series of outstanding saves.

"Jon was fantastic and to be fair he's been like it all season. He's made some brilliant saves and he's kept us in games and won us loads of points. We're really pleased to have him here at the club. Over the last three weeks TJ has also been fantastic, his workrate's been phenomenal, we can't fault his effort, and when he's bee left out his attitude's been first class, I can't praise him highly enough. We were delighted he got two goals at Bradford, it was a nice reward for him."

Matlock head to the Look Local Stadium seeking a first league win in six attempts. Ironically, their last three point haul came against Stocksbridge at the Reynolds Stadium on November 2 when an Algar brace plus strikes from Holmes and Nightingale gave them a convincing 4-0 win. Atkins expects a much tougher game this time.

"It'll be a tough game there for Stocksbridge is never an easy place to go" he warned. "We'll have to be at our battling best just as we were on Saturday."

That six game winless sequence included trips to leaders Chester and promotion chasing Bradford and home games against in form Hednesford and Worksop. Now Matlock face a potentially easier run and while Atkins sees it as an opportunity to push back up the table from their current tenth position, he knows that there are no easy games in what is generally considered the most competitive division in years.

He is also looking for long runs in both the Doodson Sports League Cup and the Derbyshire Senior Cup, their bid for success in the County version starting at New Mills on Tuesday night.

"We're looking for wins now in all competitions, we want to win as many games as possible and see where that takes us. We'll be putting out our strongest available side in each game whether it be league or either of the two cups we're left in.A few wins now will get us back into the reckoning in what is a very tough league. We know that we've got to go and give it our very best over the next few weeks. We're determined to pick up as many points as possible and go as far as we can in the cups."

Atkins' plans to give game time to some of his squad and trialists floundered when a friendly at Teversal was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.