MATLOCK head coach Alan Johnson says his side will not fear Midlands One East leaders and local rivals Derby when they visit Haslams Lane tomorrow.

Derby top the table by seven points and have been beaten only once all season – by second-placed Kettering.

However, sixth-placed Matlock ran them close when the sides met at Cromford Meadows in October before eventually losing 34-27 to a last-minute try.

That defeat hurt Johnson's men and they will be gunning for revenge this weekend, buoyed by last Saturday's 55-9 victory over Peterborough.

"The lads don't worry about playing Derby," said Johnson. "They look forward to it.

"We all have a lot of respect for Derby but relish the challenge of playing them.

"No matter where the teams are in the league, it's usually close.

"Both teams raise their game, so you often see the best of Matlock and the best of Derby.

"I hope that will be the same this weekend."

Johnson added: "Last time, we were disappointed not to beat them. We were winning at half-time and were pig sick at the end.

"But they showed us that if we lose focus for even a couple of minutes, they are capable of turning a game totally on its head.

"We will go into the game confident that we're a good side, in good form but with a healthy respect for the opposition."

Derby battled to a hard-fought 26-12 win at Bedford last weekend and head coach Paul McCartin knows his team will face another tough test against Matlock.

"They have been very up and down this season but this is one of those games where form and league positions are irrelevant," he said.

"Although we have got the better of them over the past couple of seasons, they are always games that can go either way.

"It was a cracking game at Cromford Meadows between two good sides.

"It might not be quite the same this time, because of conditions, but I still expect it to be a good game."

McCartin is hoping Ryan Manning will be fit despite coming off as a precaution at Bedford on his return from an ankle injury.

Rob Beeston could also feature if he has recovered from a back problem.

However, Andy Brown, who kicked 16 points against Bedford, is now unavailable for a month, so Louis Gandalfo is likely to make a rare appearance for the first team.

"He's not played for a while but will give us a bit of extra experience," said McCartin.

For Matlock, Elliott Turner is out with a hamstring injury, so Dan Hooton is expected to move to centre.

"I feel sorry for Elliot because it was his best game for us so far last weekend," said Johnson.

"Hopefully, he will only be out for a couple of weeks."

Elsewhere in Midlands One East, Ilkeston take on Market Rasen & Louth at The Stute.

The fifth-placed Elks halted a run of three successive defeats last weekend with a 29-25 success at Leighton Buzzard.

Market Rasen currently lie seventh, with nine wins and eight losses.

They won 38-5 at home to Loughborough on Saturday.