Lancaster City 2, Matlock Town 1: ​Norris sends Axe into raptures with late goal

The Dolly Blues had been the dominant outfit but only had Niall Cowperthwaite’s 47th minute goal to show for their efforts.

Their inability to add a second looked set to cost them dearly when the visitors scored an 89th minute equaliser.

However, veteran David Norris sent the Axe into meltdown when he fired home a stoppage time winner to seal the Dolly Blues first win of 2023.

With injuries to skipper Andy Teague and fellow defender Jamie Mellen, boss Mark Fell was forced into employing a makeshift defence including midfielders Cowperthwaite, Brad Carroll and Charlie Bailey.

City were out of the blocks quickly with Brad Carsley and Dom Lawson combining for a slick one-two before the former’s curled shot was saved by the goalkeeper.

Lawson, Christian Sloan and Sam Bailey all combined for Carsley but he could only plant his towering header wide.

Having drawn their last four games, the city faithful were wondering if this game would go the same way but Cowperthwaite gave them hope with the opening goal two minutes after the re-start.

Bailey chipped a corner to the back post and Cowperthwaite rose above his marker to head past Saul Deeney.

Lawson was close to doubling the lead when he raced through but Deeney blocked the finish.

At the other end, defensive concentration remained high , especially when Ed Ikpakwu positioned himself perfectly to block a ball on the line.

As well as they’d played, Lancaster were naturally dropping deeper and were hit by a late, brutal sucker-punch goal.

Bailey was shown a straight red for an off the ball incident and Matlock took advantage when Alex Byrne hit a cross and Karl Demidh rose high to find the back of the net.

Giant Axe was deflated but that feeling turned to jubilation just seconds later. Norris latched onto the ball, slalomed back and forth, before crashing the ball low past Deeney.