On a glorious July afternoon, the crowds flocked to the Raygar Stadium to see how the Nailers would shape up against a team expected to regain their Premier Division status at the first attempt.

The majority of Belper fans looked on with some concern as Matlock recovered from a slow start to the game and played the ball around with devastating effect for the greater part of the first half.

It was however a promising start for Belper who pressed the Gladiators back into their own half for the opening fifteen minutes.

A searching through ball from Louis Keenan set James Tague on his way and his first time lob cannoned back off the cross bar, and Tague then had two shots in quick succession that were blocked.

As Matlock settled, they began to show some silky passing moves and with Conor Washington and Diego DeGerilamo in their strike force, then it perhaps came as no surprise.

A well worked move in the 22nd minute ended with Jeremie Milambo fizzing a low, left foot drive just past the post, then a defensive slip put the Gladiators in possession and the ball came in from the right for Washington to drive home.

Matlock had grabbed the initiative with the Nailers unable to break out, and long clearances seemingly their main tactic.

Cameron Wilson forced Kieran Preston to tip the ball over the bar with a fierce drive on 29 minutes, then Washington bamboozled the Belper defence before seeing his shot blocked.

Keenan was on hand to prevent a goal in the 40th minute when he nudged the ball off the line from another Milambo effort, but the Gladiators went further ahead on the stroke of half time when Milambo finished easily following another slick Matlock move.

Hopes of a comeback lasted less than a minute after the restart after Washington’s curling effort from the edge of the penalty area dropped behind Preston and he claimed his second and Matlock’s third goal of the game.

The Nailers were playing for pride as much as anything and possession was more even, and faint hopes of a revival came on 56 minutes when Belper’s most effective player, Kevin Bastos ran through to send the ball past Myles Boney from just inside the penalty area.

Curtis Burrows was inches away with a beautifully struck free kick on 59 minutes, however Gladiators’ substitute Carlos Rodrigeuz blazed wide on 74 minutes when it looked easier to score.

Ben Sault’s mazy run from midfield on 81 minutes should have been curtailed much sooner and more slick play from Matlock ended with Sam Giles’ rasping drive from twenty yards that zipped past Preston just inside the post.

While the Nailers aren’t likely to face a team as good as Matlock in the Midland Division this season there were some aspects of their performance that need to be addressed.

Belper Town: Preston, Rhodes, Keenan, Edwards, Broadhead, Evans, Bastos (Trialist 2 69), Burrows, Tague (August 69), Trialist 1 Trialist 3 64), Adu-Gyamfi (Tsolakis 64)

Matlock Town: Boney, Ravenhill (Rodriguez 67), Milambo, Bachirou, Wiley (Fry 45), Ogleby, Thompson (Giles 78), Sault, DeGirolamo, Washington (Fankwe 64), Wilson (Murray 64). Unused sub: Parker.

Referee: Keir Sheppard

Att: 703