DABBERS DESPITE
Gladiators leapfrog rivals
MATLOCK clinched the final play-off position in the NPL Premier with a gutsy single goal victory on the road and the other results required going their way.
With Radcliffe and Hyde United both losing, the door was left ajar for the Gladiators to extend their season.
The opening period came and went with little incident - Dan Bradley
DEVASTATED Nantwich Town were relegated from the NPL Premier despite beating play-off chasing Radcliffe at the Swansway Stadium.
Radcliffe, who could have clinched fifth place with a win if Hyde dropped points, settled into the game better.
After Sean Cooke sent a speculative effort wide, Radcliffe took the lead on 29 minutes.
Jake Thompson met a cross from the right at the back post, burying it into the far corner.
Nantwich responded. Jack McIntyre came off his line and didn’t win blasting over the bar the best of the opening exchanges. Bayleigh Passant made a comfortable save in the Mariners goal when Jamie Sharman nodded a Reece Styche cross goalwards, but moments later Archie White the ball, but stayed on his feet and was able to block Connor Evans’s shot.
At the same time, Stalybridge took the lead at home to Atherton to put the other result Nantwich needed into place.
After Aidy Roxburgh charged down the right, cut inside and blazed over, Nantwich began to look as they were feeling the effects of playing less than two days previously.
In the second half, the Dabbers looked a team transformed. Good substitutions from boss Paul Carden won the ball back in the host’s half and unleashed a low shot that flashed off the base of the post.
The second half took a while to ignite before Akiel Raffie went close for Marine on 53 minutes.
The hoped-for moment for Matlock fans arrived on 57 minutes: Sharman rose highest to bury the ball into the heart of the goal from a corner on the right. Marine pressed for an equaliser to no avail. The Matlock fans eyes checked their phones for updates from elsewhere.
Joe Hardy almost broke Gladiator hearts on 81 minutes, but his effort was well closed down by a now frantic Matlock defence, who heroically held on to put them into the play-offs.