Matlock Town strengthen their grip on second place.

Full Time Score from The Proctor Cars Stadium:

NPL Football Academy - Joma Division:

Matlock Town (Blue) 4 Witton Albion Academy 1.

Following their impressive performance in beating leaders Radcliffe FC last week, Witton's Academy team faced another tough challenge when they travelled to second-placed Matlock Town in their latest NPL Football Academy Joma Division fixture on Wednesday afternoon.

Despite getting the perfect start at The Proctor Cars Stadium, when leading scorer Owen Wynne gave them the lead early on with his 11th goal of the season but that was as good as it got.

Matlock asserted themselves and gained a half time lead courtesy of a brace from central defender Ashton Hall - who had featured for The Gladiators first team in the league meeting between the two clubs at the weekend at Wincham Park.

So the young Gladiators went in at half time with a 2-1 lead and they added two further goals in the second half with Massai Dearlove scoring the best goal of the game, curling home from the left hand side of the pitch. Eddie Finney completed the scoring for the home side late in the game to give the home side a comfortable victory and stretched the gap between the two to seven points.

So Witton suffered their third defeat of the season and Matlock completed the double in the process. Witton's next outing sees them travel to Leek Town and they will be looking to get back to winning ways.

TEAM:

Danny Hamlett, Ollie Griffiths, Stefan Sorensen, Thomas McLuckie, Ethan Harding, Cameron Birkett, Oliver McDonough, Stan Tatters, Owen Wynne, Lucas Bowley, Jordan Coles.

Subs: Callum Barnes, Ben Hickey, Joe Littleford, Jenson Whalley.