Matlock paid the price for not taking their chances when they were on top as Boston survived the tidal wave of pressure towards their goal to hit the Gladiators with two sucker punches and hold an undeserved lead at half time.

By then the Gladiators were also down to ten men as leading scorer Ross Hannah saw red following an altercation with Matt Bloomer in the 43rd minute and any hopes that Matlock might have held of finding a way back went as Hannah trudged forlornly towards the dressing rooms.

Joint bosses Phil Brown and Garteh Williams were looking for a positive reaction after the FA Cup debacle at Ilkeston.

The "tweaking" of the side hinted at by Williams in midweek materialised with Liam King being moved to right back at the expense of Ryan Davis while there was a first start this season for Matty Thorpe in midfield as Simon Harrison joined Davis on the bench.

As expected skipper Simon Barraclough was back in the team with Dene Cropper being left out, and Jamie Jackson came in on the right flank with Gary Webster operating down the left and Steve Warne back in central midfield.

And the early signs were good as Matlock played some of their best football of the season.

The Pilgrims were outplayed in the opening twenty minutes as Matlock could so easily have been three goals, if not more, in front.

Luck was most definitely against them in the fourth minute when after a succession of quick crisp passes as Town kept the ball on the deck, the scintillating move ended with Hannah playing in Barraclough whose low firm drive beat the sprawling Chris Wright but hit the inside of his right hand post and bounced out.

Soon afterwards Barraclough spotted the Boston custodian off his line and tried his luck with a twenty yard lob which dropped narrowly wide.

A rare Boston excursion into Town territory saw Ollie Ryan get in behind Ryan Laight on the left but his cross shot was wild as it sailed yards wide of the target.

But Matlock were soon back on the attack and after Lee Featherstone and Webster had combined sweetly on the left, the ball was played neatly inside for the advancing Warne who dragged his shot wide of the near post.

Then it was Thorpe's turn to attempt to find the breakthrough Matlock's early play so fully deserved.

But Wright did as much as anyone to earn United their win as when Thorpe struck a low effort goalwards, he was down quickly to turn aside Thorpe's twenty yarder for the first of four fine saves in five minutes.

Hannah was next to be denied as Wright tipped away his left footer after another enterprising run by Warne, and Laight and then Hannah again weree foiled by the stopper's heroics.

These stops proved to be of double value when out of the blue Boston took a 23rd minute lead.

Twin strikers Ryan and Jon Froggatt were instrumental in the build up but the superb finish came from Jon Rowan whose diagonal shot found the opposite corner from the right, comprehensively beating Andy Richmond who up to then, had little to do.

Within a minute Matlock were sleeping as Froggatt burst through, but Richmond pulled off a top class stop at his near post.

The goal had done wonders for Boston and Froggatt shot wide with only Richmond to beat as Matlock needed to regain their earlier sparkle.

A 37th minute free kick from Barraclough floated straight across the danger area when just a touch might have found an equaliser but two minutes later Boston struck again, albeit with a touch of luck that Matlock had not experienced at the other end earlier.

Steve Melton's ball into the box was neither a cross nor a shot and it hit Ryan on the backside, who to his credit reacted in double quick time to knock the loose ball into the roof of the net from ten yards.

Thorpe, in frustration went in hard on Froggatt and was booked but there was worse to come for Matlock as Hannah reacted to Matt Bloomer's squeeze on his privates aka Vinnie Jones / Paul Gascoigne by kicking out at the defender.

Initially Barnsley official David Lawrence contented himself with a lecture to both players, but an assistant, fully seventy yards away, had his flag raised.

A brief conference between him and Lawrence saw Hannah on his way for an early shower.

While Hannah should not have reacted to the provocation, given the circumstances his reaction was perhaps understandable.

Off came Jackson who had promised some joy with some speedy breaks down the right and Nathan Benger came on to play alongside Barraclough in attack.

All in all the second half was a non event.

In truth Boston who had looked a beatable side, were content to hold Matlock and hit them on the break, knowing that the job was probably done.

Richmond had no trouble in holding a long range strike by Ryan but Froggatt held his head in shame with two bad misses when clean through.

At the other end, Wright was again alert to tip a cross by Webster over the bar and when he was beaten, by Liam King's excellent 67th minute free kick, the bar was there to save him.

Laight had his heart in his mouth when his seemingly fair challenge on Froggatt was deemed a foul.

As last man, he could so easily have departed but Mr Lawrence this time contented himself with a yellow card, perhaps realising he might have made a mistake with the original decision.

Matlock deserved more for their efforts and at least this was a much better display than at Ilkeston.

There was hunger and some excellent attacking soccer in those opening twenty minutes but as the saying goes "if you don't take your chances, they'll come back to bite you on your bum."

In that sense Matlock were left with sore backsides wondering what if.

MATLOCK TOWN: Richmond, King (Caudwell 75), Featherstone, Thorpe (Harrison 73), Laight, Foyle, Jackson (Benger 44), Warne, Hannah, Barraclough, Webster. Other Subs: Davis, Foster.
REFEREE: David Lawrence (Barnsley)
ATTENDANCE: 499
STAR MAN: Matty Thorpe