Nick Matthew
Matthew was in imperious form as he reached another Commonwealth final.

Nick Matthew remains on course to defend his Commonwealth Games singles gold after cruising past fellow-England player Peter Barker in three games to reach the final at Scotstoun.

The English No.1 prevailed 11-3 13-11 11-6 to set up a meeting against either fellow countryman James Wilsdrop or India's Saurav Ghosal in tomorrow's final at 17:00 BST.

In a repeat of the semi-final from Delhi 2010, Barker, who will now contest for the bronze, was unable to impose himself in the contest and felt aggrieved as a number of video referals and refereeing decisions went against him.

But Matthew, the singles and doubles gold medallist from four years ago and goes into Monday's final as the overwhelming favouritehaving yet to drop a game, despite having undergone knee surgery just five weeks ago.

"I said I wasn't the favourite after the injury and I think that still remains the case" Matthew said. "Other players have had the easier matches, the easier draws.

"I was on a hospital bed five weeks ago so how can I be the favourite for anything? [I've not lost a game yet] because I've had that mentallity of going in as the underdog and I need to keep it that way."

Before the tournament, Barker had labelled the Commonwealth Games as the "pinnacle of squash" and the 30-year faced arguably the biggest individual match of his career against a three-time world champion in Matthew.

The Upminster-born player was hoping for a change in the pair's rivalry, having only prevailed in two of their 22 meetings - the last coming at last year's Canary Wharf Classic and take advantage of Matthew's troubling knee problem in the all-England clash.

Matthew's route to the last four had been full of landmark victories, winning on both his 100<sup>th England appearance and on his birthday before overcoming Guernsey's Chris Simpson, and having beaten Barker on the route to gold in Delhi, he was hoping for another poignant success.

The pre-match mental jousting had laid the foundations for a contest with plenty of needle, which translated into both players obstructing the other in the middle of the court during the opening exchanges – acts of gamesmanship with the intent on landing an early psychological blow.

And it was Matthew who secured the early advantage, his fading sliced backhand creating the illusion of Barker chasing shadows for much of the first game which ended with the defending champion converting the first of seven match points for an early lead.

After dropping his game of the tournament, Barker, wearing a changed shirt of red emblazoned with the name of team-mate Daryl Selby rather than his own, was hoping to take on a new identity in the second and while continuing his tirade towards the match official stormed into a 7-4 lead.

However, as the points got shorter Matthew staged a comeback setting up game point before the 34 year old benefitted from an intentional block to claim a second chance to take a two-game lead.

Barker's frustration threatened to boil over as the video review went against him, and then a subsequent let after he was adjudged to have blocked Matthew. The second game went the way of the No.1 seed's at 13-11 after a wayward Barker overhead.

The contenious manner in which the game concluded badly affect Barker, and it allowed Matthew to clinch the third game to reach another Commonwealth final.

Speaking after the match, Barker complained at the standard of officiating which swung the second game. "The refereeing in my opinion is inconsistent for the level that we are playing at," he said.

"Ultimately if has to improve. I think they do at times [benefit the better player] not necessarily today.

"I don't think it's good enough. Not until they are professional can we expect the standard to improve. It needs a lot more attention. They're doing their best but in my opinion it's not good enough."