Dronfield Town beat the weather conditions to entertain an appreciative crowd in a thrilling 7-2 win over Glasshoughton Welfare. With National League Chesterfield staging the only other game locally, Dronfield went behind to a shock first minute goal before fighting back to take a 4-1 half time lead through Max Rhodes (2), Connor Chapell and Kenan McKenzie-Grey. Rhodes completed his hat-trick in the second half as McKenzie-Grey and James Lindores wrapped up the comprehensive victory. Town tighten their grip on eighth place in the Northern Counties East League Division One table as a result and head to Brigg Town, who held promotion-seeking Wakefield AFC to a 2-2 draw, next weekend.
The HE Barnes Stadium withstood heavy snow and rainfall and it was credit to the Dronfield volunteers that the game went ahead when many others were postponed.
They almost might have wished they hadn’t in the opening minute when Glasshoughton took a shock lead. The award of a free kick saw Joshua Winn’s shot deflected out for a corner. Ethan Weaver climbed above the Dronfield defence to head home as the visitors claimed a 0-1 advantage.
To Glasshoughton’s credit, they started the game on the front foot and commanded the opening ten minutes but there were signs Dronfield were finding their way when Nick Benson’s half volley from a corner was charged down.
The 17th minute saw the home side back on level terms. Glasshoughton keeper Billy Hicks fumbled the ball allowing Dronfield hitman Max Rhodes to poke the ball into an empty net at 1-1.
Wave after wave of Dronfield attacks followed and it was some sharp thinking that saw them take the lead. Bebbington’s quick throw in the 27th minute found Rhodes, who pulled the ball back to Connor Chapell, who sidestepped a challenge and fired home left footed from 12 yards to make it 2-1.
Town were rampant by this stage. Rhodes shot wide with the outside of his boot on the half hour and a deep cross from Billy Wright couldn’t find any contact from a Dronfield player as Alex Boyes headed back to his keeper.
Two goals in two minutes wrapped up a very solid half for Dronfield. One minute before half time, a flowing move begun by Benson found Arran Bovill, who in turn gave Rhodes the easiest tap-in as the score became 3-1.
And on the stroke of half time, Kenan McKenzie-Grey beat his man at the near post to dink the ball home as the sides went into the break separated by 4-1.
McKenzie-Grey took up where he left off as the second half kicked off by giving Dronfield a 5-1 lead. Rhodes put him in the clear and as he bore down on goal, his shot found the back of the net off the post with only a minute played.
The rain began to fall steadily as the whole Dronfield team began to get in on the act. Right full back Billy Wright was the next to come forward on 51 minutes; his left-footed shot skidding narrowly wide.
Town claimed their sixth four minutes later. Arran Bovill lobbed the oncoming Hicks and Rhodes was on hand to tap into an empty net for his hat-trick and 22nd goal of the campaign.
Rhodes had the ball in the net for a fourth time, tapping in after being found by Sam Bebbington but that was to be his last involvement in the game as the assistant referee raised his flag for offside and the young striker was substituted.
A rather shellshocked Glasshoughton also rang the changes and gained a consolation on 72 minutes. Substitute Thomas Palmer made himself a nuisance in the Dronfield box and the ball came to fellow sub Joe Stamp, who converted to make it 6-2.
Glasshoughton’s momentary resurgence was curtailed two minutes later when Dronfield wrapped up the scoring for the afternoon. Bovill got the better of Hicks once again and his neat cross from the left was forced home on the volley by Town sub James Lindores with the score at 7-2.
Lindores almost got a second in the dying moments. McKenzie-Grey’s rasping drive was palmed up by Hicks but forward Lindores could only head over the bar on the follow-up.
A crowd of 184 were royally entertained by the nine goal thriller, where the quality of some of Dronfield’s football could only be admired.
Town head to Brigg next Saturday, eleven points off the playoffs but having played the joint-most games (33) in the division.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Wright, Bebbington, Stewart, Hatton, Mawbey, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Benson, McKenzie-Grey. Subs: Lindores, Riley, Knight, Appleyard, Mark Fereday.
Glasshoughton Welfare: Hicks, Boyes, Thomas, Pearse, Weaver, Walsh, Harling, Nelson, Winn, Rawcliffe, Alngohuro. Subs: Palmer, Hanson, Carmody, Stamp, Chippendale.
Attendance: 184
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