Matlock Town vs Gresley Rovers
Acklam's the injured hero - Rex Page - Burton Mail
Paul Acklam shook off the effects of injury to snatch a notable victory for Gresley Rovers in the Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup at squelchy Causeway Lane last night.
Acklam, not risked in Rovers' starting line-up, was pressed into duty when Kieron Smith limped out of action eight minutes before the interval.
And he duly obliged with a superbly executed 55th minute winner before returning to the substitute's bench to protect his damaged ankle.
Rovers' boss Frank Northwood explained: "It's important to us that Paul is fit for Saturday's league game at Oldswinford. He went on and scored a great goal for us but his ankle was still a bit sore so we took him off again."
Acklam's all-important contribution climaxed Gresley's best spell of second half pressure. Trace Norton's through ball caught the Gladiators with their guard down and Acklam, quickly spotting that goalkeeper Billy Millar had strayed from his line, deposited a perfectly-judged lob into the net from the edge of the area.
It was Rovers' second journey down quality street, the first in the 41st minute cancelling out the lead given Matlock eight minutes earlier when a wobbling defence allowed Kevin Gee to convert Mick Vinter's cross with a far post header.
The foundation for the equaliser was laid by Mick Guest's penetrating pass and Andy Maddocks did the rest with a clever turn, neat sidestep and firm low drive from 12 yards.
Rovers made the livelier start with Maddocks and Smith both threatening to give them an early advantage, but deteriorating surface hampered their attempts to play the ball through midfield.
Matlock, in contrast, attacked more in hope than expectation but still might have prospered during their better moments had Rovers' keeper Bob Aston failed to reach his best form.
Aston saved superbly from Les Hunter and Gee with the scoresheet blank and defiantly kept out shots from Carl Fuller and John Sheppard as Matlock produced a furious late assault.
There was a bonus, too, for Rovers when full back Martin Dick confirmed that he is well on the way to recovery from a serious knee injury.
"When you consider that Martin has not played a first team game since September, he did superbly well," said Northwood.
Matlock Town (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Scorers: Gee 33 (Matlock Town); Maddocks 41, Acklam 55 (Gresley Rovers).
Matlock Town: Millar, Fuller, Greaves, Thompson, Hunter, Ridley, Mullins (Hoyland 45), Sheppard, Vinter, Gee, Burrows (Johnson 74).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Dick, Denby, Land, Astley, Guest, Norton, Maddocks, Smith (Acklam 37, Hall 71), Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Bob Aston.
Referee: D Redshaw (Kirk Langley).
Attendance: 217
