Dronfield Town fell to a third consecutive defeat in another game where they were undeniably competitive but failed to trouble the opposition net enough. Bottom side Parkgate FC, now finding their feet rapidly under their third management team of the season, came to the HE Barnes Stadium fresh from a 6-0 thrashing of Nostell MW and took a 2-1 victory back to Rotherham thanks to a brace from new signing Josh Nodder. Dronfield threw everything they had at Parkgate after Callum Mawbey’s 63rd minute equaliser but were once again left to rue their inability to put the game to bed. A break from league action now awaits with the distraction of the Derbyshire Senior Cup to come in midweek.
League positions prior to the game would have suggested a much less even contest but it soon became clear that the visitors current last place was clearly a false one. Parkgate’s new signing Josh Nodder, a vastly experienced striker from several spells in the Northern Premier League, partnered with fellow striker Ross Duggan to good effect as a wet pitch saw the ball zipping off the turf with regularity.
Neither side really dominated the opening thirty minutes. Dronfield’s Matty Ord was very effective down the left flank as threatening spells from the home side were matched by the visitors in a back and forth contest.
When the first goal came, it was in somewhat unusual fashion. On 42 minutes, Dronfield became static expecting a whistle from the referee for an infringement. When the whistle didn’t come, Nodder had the presence of mind to calmly stroke the ball past Lewis Naylor in the Town goal to put Parkgate ahead by 0-1.
It was a much more purposeful Dronfield that came out after half time. Once again they spent long spells in the Parkgate half looking for the equaliser. Town’s most threatening work again came from Ord, who was a constant menace down the left hand side and at times it felt almost unthinkable that the ball wouldn’t go into the net.
However, the equaliser did eventually come in the 63rd minute. Ord’s inswinging corner was met by the head of Dronfield’s leading scorer Callum Mawbey, who planted the ball firmly into the goal for his eighth of the season and more importantly tied matters up at 1-1.
Just when it looked like the momentum was taking the game Dronfield’s way, Parkgate hit back on the break. In the 75th minute, an attack down the right hand side of the pitch resulted in a testing ball into the box that was met by the sliding Nodder, who connected with his left boot to make it 2-1.
Some confusing decisions from the officials punctuated the second half. A free kick in a dangerous position awarded to Parkgate resulted in the visitors Alex Hardwick bafflingly picking up a yellow card and when Sam Bebbington’s header nestled in the back of the net, a whistle ruling out the goal came, despite there appearing to be very little wrong with the attempt.
Dronfield introduced all five substitutes in a bid to get back on level terms once again but possibly their best effort was a 35 yard bullet of a shot from Mawbey that just skipped past Jordan Greaves’ right hand post in the Parkgate goal.
Dronfield will hope to shake off this run of three consecutive defeats by turning their attentions to the Derbyshire Senior Cup. The North Derbyshire side head to Derby-based Borrowash Victoria on Wednesday looking to secure a place in the third round where the likes of Chesterfield and Derby County join the competition.
Town return to NCEL Division One action next Saturday when penultimate side Glasshoughton Welfare are the visitors to S18.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Riley, Bovill, Lester, Wright, Gladwin, Chapell, Pearson, Mawbey, Bebbington, Ord. Subs: Knight, Stewart, Crowe, Lindores, Mark Fereday.
Parkgate: Greaves, Kelly, Whitfield, Hardeman, Morton, Tomlinson, Nodder, Patterson, Duggan, Nicholson, Hardwick. Subs: Hart, Daughtery, Claxton, Tahar, Womack.
Attendance: 142
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