Dave Frecklington thrilled by Matlock Town win at Whitby

And he says it sets them up nicely for the visit of Stafford Rangers this weekend.

He said: “It was a fantastic win at Whitby, it was a real test of the lads’ character.

“A lot of teams would have seen the conditions and wanted to get off but we were aggressive from the start, we were the stronger side and also played the better football in a game we dominated so it was really pleasing. Our front two were magnificent and we fully deserved the 3-1 win.

“As for Stafford, we’ve been doing our homework and it’ll be a really tough fixture. We go out to win every game, if we work hard as we’ve been doing we’ll have every chance of winning it, if we don’t reach those levels then another result’s possible.”

The Gladiators currently sit in ninth spot and their recent impressive run has got Frecklington thinking about a top five spot.

He said: “We’re six points off second, those back to back wins we got were vital.

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Meanwhile, winger Jonathan Wafula was recalled by Boston United last Friday after joining the Gladiators on a dual registration agreement with the Pilgrims.

He was an unused substitute in Boston’s 3-0 FA Trophy defeat at Wrexham last weekend, which meant a recall for transfer listed Jordan Chapell.

Frecklington said: “I didn’t expect Boston to recall Jonathan that quickly. They’d got injuries and illness, to be honest I’m unsure of what the latest position with him is at present. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it but credit to Jordan Chapell who came in on Saturday and played really well. He’s a great pro, he trains well but we need to be wary of our budget.”