UniBond Premier

20th April 2005

Attendance - 490

Team - Campbell, Williams, Veart, Farthing, Linighan, Gildea.A, Ormerod, Radigan, Wilkinson, Gildea.L, McTiernan subs Johnson, Obern, Atkinson

Report - by Andrew Snaith - After a very sedate opening in this League Cup final second leg, it was the visitors who went ahead on 33 minutes when Rocky White drilled home. The Blues came close five minutes before the break when Liam Gildea's close range header struck the crossbar.

The Second half saw Whitby have most of the play, with Ant Ormerod cross-cum shot tipped over at fullstretch by twitchy keeper Adam Richmond. At the other end, Dave Campbell saved well from Kris Bowler.

Steve Johnson replaced fellow-forward Jack Wilkinson for the final 20 minutes- Stevie's first appearence since limping off in the first leg a fortnight ago. And the Blues were level just three minutes later when Graham Williams linked up with Neil Radigan and Ormerod down the right flank before delivering a neat cross to the edge of the Matlock six yard box. And there was Liam Gildea with a breath-taking side volley to batter the ball past Richmond and inside the bottom right corner, practically ripping out the netting. Game on.

Despite Craig Veart going into the book for dissent, the momentum was firmly with the home side. A string of corners followed but the Blues couldn't find a way through. At the other end, Clarke hooked well over from just inside the Whitby box.

On 87 minutes, Ormerod did brilliantly to dodge round the full-back by the touchline on the right, whipping the ball across and striking Matlock's captain James Lukic on the arm, much to the consternation of the home support. Moments later, Johnson skipped round Bowler in the same cormer and pulled back for Liam Gildea's scuffed low drive to be collected by Richmond.

However, within seconds Gildea fell to the ground with apparent cramp. But the lively striker had to be carried off by the physio. A bitter blow for the Seasiders, with the versatile Mark Obern introduced and Ormerod was pushed up front.

Extra time saw Obern booked early on after his momentum took him into keeper Richmond. Another turning point, and arguably the biggest of the match, came when Craig Veart's free-kick by the touchline was missed by all in the box and was heading inside the far post before Richmond stuck a glove out and diverted the ball onto the post.

The visitors then broke straight to the other end with a loose ball in the Whitby box slid in at the far post by Simon Barrowclough. The Matlock Gladiators, now 4-3 up on aggregate and level in away goals then effectively wrapped things up right on the stroke of half-time.

The in-form White's driven effort was slid away by Danny Farthing, but the ball was judged to have crossed the line by linesman Mr Eltringham on the far side. There was little complaint from the Blues, and as the visiting fans danced around the pitch in delirium the second period decended into a Derbyshire carnival.

The large travelling contingent sportingly applauded the weary Whitby lads off the field at the end as they collected their runners-up medals. A shame for the lads who've performed so well and worked so hard over the last eight months. But it was free-scoring Matlock who battered Hyde 5-0, and knocked out Leek and Burscough in their wake that deservedly triumphed 5-3 on aggregate and end their 27-year wait for a major trophy. Congratulations to them.