Dronfield Town beat the elements and another one of their close rivals to make it five without defeat in the Northern Counties East League Division One. Remarkable work by the committee and volunteers at Ollerton Town allowed the fixture to proceed on another weekend where many didn’t play and it was Dronfield who took full advantage with a solid 3-1 win.
The game couldn’t have begun in better fashion for Dronfield. A neat piece of individual skill in the second minute saw Mark Fereday turn at the top of the area and fire into the top corner past the despairing dive of Ollerton keeper Levi Owen.
Dronfield’s strong start continued in the eighth minute when a neat interchange of passes involving Mawbey and Ord saw Ord’s shot scrambled away to safety by the Ollerton defence.
The home side’s first effort of note came in the 19th +minute when Lewis Naylor saved with his legs from a rare sortie up front by Ollerton’s Aaron Hewitt.
The game became somewhat niggly around the thirty minute mark; the referee having to speak to both managers as tempers became frayed.
This seemed to spur Ollerton as they got back on level terms in the 34th minute. A useful run down the left saw Hewitt’s cross find Sam Foulds with pinpoint accuracy and he placed his header firmly past Naylor to make it 1-1.
Dronfield boss Chris Millington’s protestations that his side had stopped doing what had brought them success in the early stages seemed to gee them up for the final five minutes of the half.
Mawbey burst from midfield to feed Fereday, whose shot skipped narrowly wide in the 40th minute and just one minute later, Dronfield regained their lead.
A ball out to the right wing found Ord, whose chip into the mixer sailed over Owen and saw the Derbyshire side into the changing rooms at half time 2-1 to the good.
The second half began equally as well for Dronfield. Just two minutes had elapsed when Fereday dispossessed Ollerton’s George Slack. Fereday carried the ball upfield and squared for Ord to tap home for his second of the game and send Dronfield into a 3-1 lead.
Ollerton could have levelled matters once again on 56 minutes when following Alex Pugh’s slip, Ben Burbanks fed Lewis Bingham, who should really have hit the target with his attempt on goal.
That effort aside, Dronfield were rarely troubled for the rest of the encounter and were good value for their win.
Richard Mintoft’s stooping header from Connor Chappell’s corner went just wide in the 65th minute and on 77 minutes, Mawbey’s header put Mark Fereday through on goal but his effort went wide as he bore down on goal.
A twenty yard attempt from Mawbey, which curled wide rounded off the chances for Dronfield, who now move to within one point of twelfth placed Parkgate FC, having won four and drawn one of their last five games.
Bottom side East Hull, yet to win in the league, are the visitors to the HE Barnes Stadium next Saturday.
Ollerton Town: Owen, Moody, Burbanks, Stretton, Shaw, Slack, Partridge, Hewitt, Foulds, Bingham, Dickinson.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Wright, Stewart, Rawson, Mintoft, Pugh, Chappell, Mawbey, Fereday, Rupere, Ord.
Attendance: 100
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