Hume looks to bolster Matlock attacking arsenal

Gresley veteran Gary Ricketts and Belper Town’s exciting youngster Evan Garnett have both been on Hume’s radar as the Town chief looks to increase his attacking options.

“Yes, that’s true,” said Hume. “But as both will be cup tied for Saturday (Matlock visit Shaw Lane Aquaforce in the FA Trophy), we probably won’t hear anything one way or the other before Monday.

“There’s also two more players but we need to be sure they want to play for us, other clubs are in for them as well, it’s no use anyone coming if they have any doubts, I want players who’ll be fully committed to playing for this club.”

Hume has captured 20-year-old former Hull City academy defensive midfielder Ryan Fallowfield on an initial month’s loan and Fallowfield had a tidy debut in Tuesday night’s penalty shoot out win at Spalding in the Integro Doodson NPL Cup.

“Ryan can give us a lot of options either in defence or in midfield and he did very well,” Hume said.

“That’s three clean sheets in a row now which is very pleasing. Laurie Wilson’s made a case for a back four position and although he reverted to a midfield position on Tuesday he’s done really well and looked really solid.”

Last Saturday Matlock beat Frickley 3-0 to record their second league double of the campaign in what Hume describes as “a good performance”.

“They’re always a tricky side to play against and actually I thought they (Frickley) were slightly the better side until we scored our first goal,” he said.

“Then we got in the groove and scored a lovely second goal with a great break, after that we were comfortably in control.

“Okay we got lucky with the third but those sorts of things hadn’t been happening for us so perhaps it was our time.”

Joel Purkiss scored the first two goals with Niall McManus scoring the bizarre third and it appears as if Purkiss has heeded Hume’s advice with regard to workrate.

“It’s there for Joel if he wants it badly enough, they were two great finishes, he’s done very well and I’m really pleased for him,” said Hume, who is under no illusions about the scale of the task Matlock face at Barnsley based Shaw Lane this weekend, who lie in second spot in Evo-Stik NPL First Division South.

“I’m a Barnsley lad so I have my own reasons for wanting us to do well,” said Shaw. “As a club, Shaw Lane have come on leaps and bounds in the last two or three years, they’re well backed financially with lads capable of playing in this division or higher.

“So we know we’ll have to be on top of our game but it’ll be a good hard test for them and one we want to enjoy.”

As many as four former Matlock players could be in the blue and white stripes of the Ducks. Striker Lee Morris, midfielder Jordan Deacey and defenders Muhammed Sabo and more recently Oscar Radford have moved in at Shaw Lane which should give the tie extra spice. A pre season match there ended 2-2 in August but Hume says that will have no influence on this weekend’s outcome.

“It’ll make no difference and generally our pre-season results were rubbish, but I take no notice of results in pre-season which more than anything else is for fitness,” said Hume.

“That’s where pre-season was good for us, I don’t think there’s a lot of teams fitter than us and we need to show this and other qualities on Saturday.”

If the game is drawn, the replay is at the Autoworld Arena on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile the Matlock Town Academy team is already bearing fruit in providing first team potential, as both winger Lewis Brown, aged 17, and 16-year-old defender Piper McNeil have both signed first team forms for the Gladiators.

“I’m really pleased that both lads have done well and progressed at the academy and I’m looking for them to be involved with the first team in the future,” said Hume.

Academy coach Jamie Yates added: “This shows to our academy players and future students there is a goal to be achieved here at Matlock Town Football Club.

“Both have impressed of late and deserve their chance, from my experience now have to work even harder to impress Mark Hume and improve as footballers.”