Matlock Town 0
Blackburn Rovers 0

The game began with a ceremonial guard of honour formed by players from both sides for Lukic - who had played for his new club Gainsborough Trinity against Grimsby Town just 24 hours earlier - to make his entrance for one final time as Matlock Town captain.

And it was fitting that he should have the first chance after seven minutes, rising at the back post to meet Dene Cropper's flick on from triallist Luke Federenko's teasing corner from the left.

A minute later, Ryan Davis's long ball up the right flank was seized upon by the speedy Reuben Wiggins-Thomas who toyed with Gavin Gunning before squaring to Barraclough, whose left foot shot arced narrowly over the corner of post and bar.

Steve Warne, making his home return following his move back to Matlock from Alfreton, was the next to try his luck, but drove wide of Gunnar Nielsen's left hand post.

Aaron Doran produced - or at least took - most of Blackburn's chances, his best coming after Lukic was uncharacteristically befuddled by Marcus Marshall's trickery, but Doran's shot was cleared off the line by the man who should inherit Lukic's mantle, Ryan Laight.

Marshall headed wide from Andy Howarth's point blank cross before Barraclough attempted an audacious half-volley from all of 30 yards after picking up another Cropper flick on.

And the two combined again for the last real chance of the half, Barraclough again clearing the angle of the goalframe, this time with his right foot.

The half, though, was full of good things for Matlock.

Liam King and Steve Warne provided solidity and bite in the centre of the park that simply wasn't there for much of last season, while Federenko, released recently by Barnsley, displayed a neat touch and turn out on the left.

A new line-up, save for Lukic and Davis, emerged for Matlock after the break, and while Blackburn had the lion's share of the clearest opportunities, the Gladiators turned on the style at times, particularly when triallist Simon Harrison was involved.

A new striking partnership of Nathan Benger and Jake Williams, another former Chesterfield man, looked tidy enough without ever really threatening to put Nielsen in danger of conceding.

With 20 minutes to go, it was all change again with the old guard replacing the young guns, and that's when the game became more entertaining.

The Blackburn youngsters seemed ill at ease against the wise old heads as Gareth Williams in particular caused havoc in the Rovers defence.

Then on 81 minutes play was suspended as Matlock Town's first streaker in living memory sprinted across the pitch from the cricket ground end towards Kevin Tye, who nimbly sidestepped the intruder's naked advances.

The tattooed guest then ran back whence he came, unmolested, nay, unpursued by any steward until it was much too late.

By then, he had tiptoed past the sight screen, passed by a children's kickabout and casually collected his clothes from an accomplice waiting behind the cricket nets.

A case of too little, too late.

The football continued as if nothing remotely untoward had occurred, Nick Tilly coming closest with a left-foot curling shot from the right hand corner of the area, which subsitute keeper Andreas Arestidou tipped over the bar.

By then Lukic, who had briefly been upstaged, had left the field to rapturous applause.

He had remained utterly composed in a display of controlled, decisive and effortless centre-halving, playing as if it was any other Matlock game.

Except that, after ten years, it was his last.

Matlock Town first half: Andy Richmond, Ryan Davis, Lee Featherstone, Liam King, Ryan Laight, James Lukic, Reuben Wigins Thomas, Steve Warne, Dene Cropper, Simon Barraclough, Luke Federenko.
Second half until 70 minutes: Andy Richmond, Cameron Fearon, Danny Williams, Ryan Davis, James Lukic, Gary Webster, Matt Thorpe, Simon Harrison, Nathan Benger, Jake Williams, Jake Pidcock.
Replaced by: Kevin Tye, Dave McNicholas, James Lukic, Glenn Kirkwood, Richard Taylor, Rockie White, Nick Tilly, Steve Circuit, Phil Brown, Gareth Williams, Steve Taylor.
Blackburn Rovers: Gunnar Nielsen, Eddie Nolan, Gavin Gunning, Josh O'Keefe, Jonathan Flynn, Dean Winnard, Aaron Doran, Rostyn Griffith, Martin McCubbin, Marcus Marshall, Andy Howarth. Subs: Jonathan Bateson, Andreas Arestidou, Alexander Marrow, Michael Potts, Philip Jones, Michael Hall, Callum O'Connor.
Referee: Glenn Turner
Attendance: 487.