First up is a trip to Ashton United, who are fresh from a 100 per cent bank holiday weekend return, on Saturday.

Then on Tuesday ex-Gladiator Ian Holmes is set to arrive with his new club Eastwood Town, having thumped in four goals in his last appearance and topping the UniBond League scorers table already.

“Ashton have become something of a bogey side for us,” said joint Matlock boss Phil Brown.

“We never seem to do well against them (Matlock have not beaten the Robins in their last six league encounters and Ashton inflicted a league double over Matlock last term), so now is as good a time as any to put things right.”

Ashton are in fine form, however.

An impressive 1-0 win at Boston United on Saturday was followed by a fine 4-1 home success against Buxton which took them up to eighth spot, two points better off than the 14th placed Gladiators.

As for Eastwood, they were surprisingly beaten 2-0 at Kendal, but four goals from Holmes, who scored 34 times for Matlock in his debut UniBond season in 2006/07, saw The Badgers thrash North Ferriby United at Coronation Park on Monday.

“We know Eastwood's strengths,” said Brown.

“They've spent some big money and will be a danger to us.

“We know only too well what a threat one particular player can be to us, but like as at Guiseley we'll go in there, work hard and hope we can play the football which will lead to us getting the three points.”

Ross Hannah, who scored the goals to earn Matlock their first win of the season at home to Whitby on Saturday, missed the 1-1 draw at Guiseley on Monday with a shoulder injury. But he should be fit to return at Hurst Cross, while Jamie Jackson and Dene Cropper are expected to have recovered from an ankle injury and a dead leg respectively.

Brown was pleased with the weekend performances, and particularly with the draw at Guiseley.

"Some people might call me greedy, but I thought we were worth six points.

“We beat Whitby despite not being at our best. In fact I'd say that was our least effective performance of the season so far, yet we got the three points.

“From a defensive point of view, the Guiseley performance as our best for we did an awful lot of things right up there.

“It's taken 48 minutes for them to really trouble us when they had their first shot, and apart from the goal and Andy Richmond's great save late on, we've looked extremely comfortable."

Saturday August 30 (3pm)

Ashton United v Matlock Town

Tuesday September 2 (7.45pm)

Matlock Town v Eastwood Town