Countable:
* When referring to individual sticks of matches: "I have two matches in my pocket."
* When referring to a set of matches: "I bought a box of matches."
Uncountable:
* When referring to the general concept of striking two things together to create a spark: "The match of the two teams was exciting."
* When referring to a competition or contest: "The match was a close one."
To determine whether "matches" is countable or uncountable, pay attention to the context of the sentence and whether you are referring to individual sticks or the concept of a match.