Lancaster City’s season comes to an end with draw at Matlock Town

A 1-1 draw away at Matlock Town bought Lancaster City’s Northern Premier League season to a close.

Chances were few and far between in the opening 15 minutes however early signs of the kind of football Jimmy Marshall wants his side to play are clear to see as the season draws to a close.

After Basile Zottos gave Matlock their first opportunity of the game, shooting wide from a set piece - which proved to be one of the Gladiators’ strong points - Christian Sloan picked out Nic Evangelinos at the other end 15 minutes in, who had a go from 20 yards out, but his shot was dragged wide of the mark.

Just one minute later, Christian Sloan was central to another City chance, this time taking a shot on goal and forcing Ellis Litherland into a good save. Top scorer Lewis Mansell was there on the follow-up but Elliott Whitehouse put his body on the line to keep it goalless.

Montel Gibson tested Lewis Forshaw for the first time on 20 minutes and forced him into a strong save at the near post.

Midway through the first half, the Dollies broke the deadlock.

Lewis Coulton’s throw in found Sloan who looped the ball over to Evangelinos. The number 10 weaved his way into the box, hit the ball across the face of goal and Mansell slotted home from point blank range to get his 16th of the season.

Forshaw had a brief, nervy moment in goal as Basile Zottos threatened again on the left hand side, his attempted cross almost trickled into the net but Lancaster’s ‘keeper claimed it.

Sam Bailey’s free kick five minutes before the half time whistle came off Matlock’s skipper Charles Oglesby and it needed a strong hand from Litherland to keep it out.

The Gladiators found an equaliser with seconds of the half remaining. They won a corner which Jeremie Milambo sent in and connected with Montel Gibson who headed home for his 22nd goal of the campaign.

Three minutes after the restart, Zottos found himself one on one against Forshaw but the latter came out on top, with a strong challenge on the hosts’ number 11 while winning the ball cleanly in the process.

After that, opportunities for the most of the second 45 were hard to come by. Charlie Cox is known to not shy away from a goalscoring chance and he had two in the late stages, but both went over the bar, although the second was dipping.

When they entered the fray, Lancaster’s substitutes looked lively and two of them combined in the final moments: Josh Abbott found Dom Lawson in the box and the striker had a shot at goal but Litherland saved well, and stopped Mansell on the rebound.

The final whistle marked the end of another season for the Dolly Blues which has seen new faces come in on and off the pitch.