Ross Hannah's first start for the Gladiators brought him a quickfire brace which put his side two goals up but the UniBond First Division side fought back well in the sweltering heat to earn a deserved draw.
Carlton Town 2-2 Matlock Town This was Matlock's second game in eighteen hours so they would have been grateful of the regular drinks stoppages afforded to the players.
Both sides could have drawn first blood as Ashley Foyl
e rose to meet a left wing corner in the second minute to plant his header narrowly wide before Liam King, strating at full back cleared off the line from Darryl Thomas.
But Matlock were in front on 13 minutes when Dene Cropper flicked on Andy Richmond's long punt to leave Hannah clean through and the former Belper striker finished with aplomb.
Three minutes later Hannah doubled his personal tally and Matlock's with a nonchalant flick past the exposed Carlton goalkeeper from a Ruben Wiggins-Thomas centre.
Matlock looked set for a cricket score with the home defence struggling to cope with Hannah and Cropper but crucially the Millers replied almost instantly as left winger Jermaine Walters beat Richmond low to his right with a well struck twenty two yarder.
Cropper fired inches wide after constructing his own chance before Hannah struck the goalkeeper's legs and crossing back into the danger area for Wiggins-Thomas to see his strike well blocked by the overworked custodian.
Thomas looked a threat for Carlton and some nimble footwork followed by a fierce drive which was narrowly off target might have brought a leveller had it been a couple of inches more accurate.
The half ended with another Gladiators chance, again falling to Wiggins-Thomas who really should have struck the target rather than dragging his shot wide of the far post after a great touch from Cropper.
Within two minutes of the restart, Thomas got the goal he deserved as the Gladiators allowed him far too much space on the edge of the box and he kept his composure to drill a precise finish past Richmond,
In an even contest now, Cropper saw his header hacked off the line and then drove wide before Steve Warne shot too high after a telling back heel by Gary Webster.
But Carlton had opportunities too and in the end a draw was just about the right result.
MATLOCK TOWN: Richmond, King, Caudwell (Cartwight 83), Harrison (Laight 61), Davis, Foyle, Wiggins-Thomas (Webster 61), Benger (Warne 61), Cropper (Lawton 83), Hannah (Barraclough 70), Federenko (Featherstone 61)
ATTENDANCE: 60 est
STAR MAN: Dene Cropper.
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