By David Foy.
It was to be a stalemate at the Yorkshire Payments Stadium. Earlier in the day the club extended thanks to volunteers who gave the ground a tidy up.
Gladiators Defender Reece Kendall returned to a former club; Kendall the first player Brighouse ever received a fee for.
Not much action in the first half until the closing stages. A smart one-two between Brighouse’s Joe Jagger and Tom Haigh set up striker Jack Boyle who rattled the bottom left hand post. There was just time also for Matlock’s Callum Chippendale to loop a header towards goalie George Clarke who securely caught the ball in his grasp.
It was to be The Gladiators just after half time with their best chance. Alex Burn fired in a cross low and hard from the right, substitute Potts sliding and putting wide.
Matlock ‘rolled’ substitutes throughout the second half with Brighouse doing their rotation mainly at halftime. Both teams tried to get into a rhythm, but again both teams had to wait until the last five minutes for chances.
On the 86th minute a Spencer Harris free kick whipped in for Matlock from the right met the head of Kade Coppin but found the gloves of Brighouse’s diminutive trialist goalkeeper.
The last of act of the game fell to Eli Hey for The Orange Army who turned and shot left footed just wide of Matlock’s second trialist goalkeeper’s left hand post.
