MATLOCK: Gladiators’ boss determined to maintain good form

He said: “We’ve been excellent and fully deserved the success we’ve achieved but we must remember there’s no easy games in this league and we need to show the same attitude and desire as we have in the last two matches. A good team puts long unbeaten runs together and that must be our aim now.”

Danny Holland and Lavelle White netted as Matlock earned £3000 for beating Basford United on Saturday to earn a tie at Carlton Town on Saturday week. The Nottingham side won 2-1 at Brigg in a replay on Tuesday while Matlock were impressive 4-0 victors at King’s Lynn thanks to a brace from Lewis McMahon and strikes from Holland and Darryl Thomas.

“Both wins were fully deserved and we could have scored more in both games” Atkins added. “The pleasing thing for me was that the lads put into practice in a match situation all of the things they’d been doing in training and had the speed of thought to enable that to happen. Both games were always going to be difficult. It might have been six nil to us by half time at Basford which was always going to be hard as they were up for it against a higher league side. The travelling at night was a factor at King’s Lynn and I can’t praise the lads highly enough, the first goal was always going to be crucial, we got it and when we made it 3-0 by half time, it was always going to be difficult for King’s Lynn to get back in it. It’s a hell of a result for us, King’s Lynn are a good side who’ll beat a lot of teams here.”

Atkins hopes that the trio of James Ashmore (dead leg), Danny Holland (tight groin) and Darryl Thomas (tight hamstring) who were forced off in the second half at King’s Lynn will be ready for the weekend, while Anton Foster and Corey Gregory should train tonight (Thursday) and be back in contention very soon. There was more good news as both Lee Featherstone and Adam Yates made their first appearances of the season as substitutes at The Walks and suffered no reaction after injury lay-offs. Lavelle White should also feature again after missing out on Tuesday through work commitments.

Meanwhile Anthony Griffiths-Junior has been released and has joined First Division South Loughborough Dynamo.

“Anthony’s injury hasn’t helped him for he’s been playing catch-up, the lad obviously wants to play and we can’t give him a regular game. He goes with our thanks and best wishes, whether we get a replacement in I’m not sure at present, we’re always looking at new players, but at present I’m satisfied with the group of players we’ve got.”

Matlock and Barwell have agreed to move their game at the Reynolds Stadium from Tuesday 15 October to Wednesday 16 October to avoid a clash with England’s vital World Cup qualifier with Poland.