Yates back to help Gladiators in crisis
ADAM Yates has come out of retirement to help Matlock Town through a defensive availability crisis.
The popular centre-half, who clocked up 500 appearances for the Gladiators, is available for today’s away game against Bamber Bridge in the Pitching In NPL Premier Division.
Apart from injuries, the club say defender Jamie Sharman will be absent for personal reasons for an extended period.
Matlock have also signed 19-year-old midfielder Jamie Cooke on loan from FC Halifax Town. He also goes straight into the squad.
MICKLEOVER have signed assistant manager Ricky Ravenhill’s 20-year-old son Liam on a month’s loan from Doncaster Rovers and he is available for today’s away game against Witton Albion in the NPL Premier.
Ravenhill junior, a midfielder, has been with Rovers since he was 10 and made his first team debut last season in the FA Cup against FC United of Manchester.
BELPER Town are without a game this weekend but they bounced back to form with an excellent 3-0 win at home to Carlton Town in midweek, inflicting the Nottingham side’s first defeat of the season in the Pitching In NPL Midland Division.
Victory came thanks to a hat-trick of Craig Nelthorpe assists in the second half after the Nailers had dominated a goalless first 45.
Nelthorpe’s deep cross found captain Danny South for a decisive header from five yards after 68 minutes.
A great save by Ollie Battersby, followed by a block on the line by Todd Jordan preserved the lead after 77 minutes and Belper were ahead two minutes later when Riece Bertram, at the second attempt, smashed in Nelthorpe’s curling free kick into the box.
Another Nelthorpe cross found an unmarked Jonny Margetts for the third goal with two minutes left.
ALFRETON Town kept their first clean sheet of the season in Vanarama National North when they beat Leamington 1-0 at home in midweek.
A good run by Yusifu Ceesay on the left led to the chance for Bailey Hobson to hit the winner from outside the box in the 73rd minute.
Tom Allan is suspended for the Reds’ game away to Farsley Celtic today, following his sending off in last week’s FA Cup defeat to Cleethorpes Town.