Solid performance in narrow NLD Cup defeat to National 3 side Derby

Matlock welcomed Derby to a very sunny Cromford Meadows for this long awaited cup clash. With Derby sitting comfortably mid table two levels above Matlock in the National 3 Midlands League the result on paper was almost a foregone conclusion but the added long term rivalry between the two clubs has often seen the tight knit small town club surprise their big city opponents. You have to ask why a club in National 3 is allowed to play in these smaller cup competitions but in any event it does at least give the two clubs the opportunity to play against each other. Matlock made a couple of changes from the previous week. Mike Allen and Alex Powell were both unavailable but Ben Neville returned in the centre and Harry Boyd moved out to the wing. With Tom Morton not being 100% fit James Young started at scrum half and Dave Hartley slotted in at full back. Morton was on the bench alongside Curtis Bolam and Captain Tim Taylor, returning after three weeks in Canada.

The game kicked off and Matlock were clearly up for the challenge of testing their high flying opponents as they came very close to scoring in a try in opening minutes. The ball went to ground out wide, Harry Boyd gathered the loose ball and stepped inside the oncoming defender before chipping ahead into space. Ben Neville was clearly going to win the race to touch the ball down but the ball just ran over the dead ball before he could pounce, a let of for Derby. Matlock were not allowing Derby to settle into any sort of rhythm with good line speed and solid defence. In their attempts to stem the early tide Derby gave several penalties away in quick succession. On ten minutes they infringed again at the break down, the referee sent the guilty party to the sin bin and James Fairclough stepped up to calmly convert the penalty kick for deserved 3-0 lead. The Derby side regrouped under the posts and from the restart they gradually began to come into the game. Matlock began to come under pressure from the bigger side, who were now playing with more pace and intensity, and inevitably they then became guilty of infringing to slow the ball down. This in turn gave Derby some valuable field position which lead to a good catch and drive and a try in the corner on 17 minutes. The conversion attempt was woeful but the visitors had a narrow 3-5 lead. This raised the Derby tempo and Matlock had to defend well for a period and wait for their opportunity to mount an attack. On 27 minutes Matlock scored a superb team try, playing though a number of phases with forwards and backs supporting each other and looking after the ball well they eventually created space for John Statham to burrow over in the corner. The conversion attempt was wide but Matlock had regained the lead at 8-5. The game was now beginning to open up and with the home side clearly feeling the pace of the game Derby themselves scored a good team try which began in their own half and finished off through a pick and drive to the line. The conversion was successful 8-12. From the restart the ball ricocheted back off a Derby boot and Matlock were quickly on the attack. Derby were in disarray and transgressed again to slow the ball down. Fairclough again slotted the penalty kick to make it a one point game at 11-12. As half time approached Matlock gave away a penalty giving Derby good field position. The catch and drive was halted and James Harrod was harshly shown a yellow card. Derby went for the line out again but messed it up and the loose ball was pounced on by Dave Hartley and Matlock cleared their lines to half way through Fairclough’s howitzer boot. Half time 11-12
Derby’s coaching staff clearly had delivered a message at half time and Derby came out strongly playing with greater intensity but generally lacking in accuracy and execution as a couple of try scoring opportunities went to ground. Matlock were penalised under the new law for a high tackle and Derby again went for field position and executed a good catch and drive to score a converted try 11-19.
As Matlock were still learning to deal with the extra pace in Derby’s game the defence was stretched again and a move which began in the Derby half resulted in another converted try and some daylight on the score board for the National 3 side at 11-26. Having been on the defensive for the first twenty minutes of the second half Matlock refused to lie down and continued to play some great rugby and cause problems for the visitors. On 60 minutes Dave Hartley was shown a yellow card for a frustrated remark made to the referee but this didn’t lessen Matlock’s determination. Matlock attacked from deep creating space for Luke Howard who made his opposite number look very ordinary as he has turned him inside out and left him for dead. Dan Hooton raced up in support but Howard’s pass went behind him and a good opportunity was gone. It wasn’t long though before Matlock reduced the deficit with a try following a period of concerted pressure the ball went blind and Fairclough dance his way through to dive over. The conversion was wide but at 16-26 and Matlock linking well the game was not quite over yet. Derby tried to keep Matlock pinned down in their own half but a fine break by Neville from his own twenty two took him inside the Derby half but again the attack broke down.
On 70 minutes John Statham was shown a yellow for hands in at the ruck as Derby mounted an attack in the corner. Fourteen man Matlock kept Derby out and it was testimony to the home side’s efforts that a cautious Derby took the opportunity of a kickable penalty late on to make the game safe with the score at 16-29.

This was a great performance by the blue boys who battled manfully throughout, playing 30 minutes with only 14 men and the only difference between the two sides was clearly the pace of the game played at the National 3 level. The squad can now turn their attention back to the league. Next Saturday they entertain Spalding at Cromford Meadows 2.15 kick off.

Team: Bunting J, Willingham-Statham J, Statham A, Atkinson C, Harrod J, Wright T, Cruttenden T, Wright S, Young J, Fairclough J, Howard L, Neville B, Hooton D, Boyd H, Hartley D
Bench: Bolam C, Taylor T, Morton T