A brace from Tom Cursons was enough to fend off Matlock Town, who got a goal of their own through Remaye Campbell.

Ilkeston started the faster of the two sides as a calamitous error from Matlock ‘keeper Rogan Ravenhill who miscalculated the danger Cursons posed as he pressed a long ball, but his effort missed the empty net and flew over the bar.

However, it was Ilkeston who broke the deadlock in the eighth minute as he stormed through Matlock’s defence and was brought down by Ravenhill for a penalty kicked, we he dispatched with power down the middle to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

Matlock got to grips with the game and battled for an equaliser which they found just five minutes later as Remaye Campbell took aim from the edge of the box, and despite stinging the gloves of Matt Yates in goal, his effort squeezed into the far post to level the score.

Ravenhill was called back into action moments later, as Cursons beat his man for pace and strength before taking aim, but Ravenhill was equal to the effort.

However, the visitors again found themselves infront in the 23^rd minute as the relentless Cursons picked up a lofted ball from the defence and taps it past the defence before hammering it past Ravenhill to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Despite the action-packed opening, the latter stages of the first half fizzled out with neither team finding any clear-cut chances, and the referee blew the whistle with Ilkeston in the driver’s seat.

Despite a more even start to the second half, Matlock Town ramped up the pressure and in the 64^th minute some beautiful play with substitute Montiel Gibson as the conductor, but his high cross was cleared which denied Campbell his brace.

However despite Matlock’s push for an equaliser, Ilkeston Town managed to hold off their efforts, despite two penalty appeals being waved away for Matlock Town, which means the visitors are the side to progress to the quarter final of the Senior Challenge Cup.

Written by Max Stairs