Matlock Town secured a narrow victory over Liversedge in a closely contested match that featured one goal in each half. The result saw Matlock topple Liversedge from the top position in the East division, while marking Nathan Haslam’s first home game in charge of the Gladiators.

In the 12th minute, Ethan Kachosa, making his home debut, capitalized on a charged-down clearance and passed to Jed Abbey, who scored his tenth goal of the season to give Matlock an early lead. Throughout the first half, Matlock pressed their advantage as Ben Sault tested Liversedge’s goalkeeper Jordan Porter with a close-range effort before missing the target.

Defensively, Liversedge responded with Aiden Walker clearing a goal-bound header just before halftime, preventing the visitors from equalizing. However, the Gladiators extended their lead when Walker contributed at the opposite end, scoring with a commanding header at the back post to make it 2-0.

The match concluded with Matlock maintaining their two-goal advantage, effectively ending Liversedge’s run at the summit of the table. The win provided a positive start for Haslam in his home manager role while reinforcing Matlock’s competitive position in the league.