Gladiators match report: Stamford v Matlock Town

After consulting with both clubs and the ground staff, Plowright abandoned the game, and while it was probably the right decision, Matlock manager Mark Atkins felt he could have waited to see if conditions improved.

This is the Gladiators second abandonment in a month following the floodlight failure which saw their game at Buxton called off at half time on Boxing Day.

Now the Daniels and the Gladiators must do battle once again, probably on a midweek date. Matlock were just getting on top when the weather intervened.

After an equal opening which saw a Micky Harcourt cross cut out and Stamford’s Nabil Shariff screw a shot wide from the edge of the box, Matlock came close to taking a 13th minute lead. A delicious cross from Joe Leesley on the left was headed narrowly over the top by Shaun Tuton.

Matlock, who included injury doubt Lewis McMahon, then broke forward again for skipper Liam Needham to warm the hands of goalkeeper Alex Lynch.

But with dark clouds all around, the storm arrived, probably on its way from nearby Grantham where their home meeting with Stafford Rangers survived just eighty five seconds, and it was an early trip home for the crowd and the visitors.

STAMFORD: 1 Alex Lynch 2 Lewis Carr, 3 Jason Field, 4 Ryan Walker 5 Richard Jones, 6 Charlie Binns 7 Daniel Lawlor 8 Shawn Richards 9 Nabil Shariff 10 Jordan Smith 11 Ryan Robbins Subs: 12 Liam Richardson 14 Ashley Robinson 15 Alvin Jarvis 16 Emeka Nwadike 17 David Staff.

MATLOCK TOWN: 1 Jon Kennedy 2 Micky Harcourt 3 Joe Leesley 4 Martin Foster 5 David Haggerty 6 Oscar Radford 7 Liam Needham 8 James Ashmore 9 Danny Holland 10 Shaun Tuton 11 Lewis McMahon Subs: 12 Daryl Thomas 14 Lavell White 15 Corey Gregory 16 Cecil Nyoni, 17 Matty Leese.

REFEREE: D PLowright-Clipstone.

ATTENDANCE: Not announced.