​Matlock suffer yet more weather-related frustration

In normal circumstances an inspection would have taken place around 3.30pm to avoid Trinity travelling across to Derbyshire and also avoid the wastage of food brought in for refreshment kiosks and hospitality.

But with the rain not coming until later, the match referee was left with little choice.

A club spokesman said: “The pitch was fit at 3.30pm and the inspecting referee would have given the go ahead. The problem was heavy rain over the teatime period and when the match referee arrived at 6.10pm, he inspected and ruled the pitch to be unfit.

"It was a game we desperately wanted to be played but again the elements have worked against us. We understand the frustration of anyone who travelled to the game, especially those from Gainsborough, but at the end of the day the weather had the final say.”

Manager Martin Carruthers was also disappointed the match did not go ahead.

He said: “We saw it as a great opportunity to get back to winning ways, now we’ve again got back-to-back away league matches but there’s no point in moaning about it, we’ve got to get on with it.”

The Gladiators travel to fourth-placed Warrington Rylands on Saturday looking to put their last gasp defeat at Lancaster City last weekend behind them.

Christian Sloan hit a 25-yarder that whistled low past goalkeeper Saul Deeney’s dive as the game entered stoppage time for the only goal of the game and Carruthers feels that his side deserved more for their efforts.

He said: “We were good value for a point at the very least, we were totally dominant and if JJ [John Johnston] had taken that very good chance midway through the first half we’d probably have gone on to win two or three nil.

"Lancaster didn’t create much and I thought we were about to break a hoodoo of our bogey team [Matlock also lost very late on at Lancaster last season]. It’s extremely disappointing to concede in the 90th minute but I can’t fault the lads’ application and effort, the only thing was that we were a little lacking in the final third.”

Rylands will be looking for a league double over the Gladiators having won 4-2 at the Proctor Cars Stadium in September. But last weekend they were surprisingly beaten at home by relegation haunted Bradford (Park Avenue), the Yorkshire side netting an 87th minute winner.

Rylands also had central defender James Butler sent off in what turned out to be a bad end to their week as talented centre forward Adama Sidibeh left to join Scottish Premier League side St Johnstone. The pacy Sidibeh tormented Matlock’s defence throughout their victory scoring twice .

“We saw what a good side they are at our place so it’s going to be a very tough game. We don’t know how they’re going to react to that defeat and losing their best striker but we’ve got to go there in a positive frame of mind,” said Carruthers.