Dronfield Town broke a run of three consecutive defeats with a point in a goalless draw with Glasshoughton Welfare. Dronfield had the better chances in the first half and despite the visitors almost claiming a win in added time, the game was a relatively scrappy affair. The point sees Town climb one place in the Northern Counties East League Division One to ninth as Glasshoughton remain rooted in the bottom three. Dronfield now head into their rearranged Derbyshire Senior Cup tie in midweek against Borrowash Victoria.
The game wasn’t high on quality but Dronfield had their better chances in the first half. The quarter of an hour mark saw Calum Mawbey beat the offside trap. Glasshoughton keeper Alfie Hayes-Daubney made a useful save as Dronfield striker Mark Fereday blasted wide on the follow-up.
Town almost nicked the opening goal four minutes later. Connor Chapell’s free kick from the right saw a goal-bound header scooped from behind Hayes-Daubney. The linesman ruled that the ball had not crossed the line despite protestations from the Dronfield players.
On 38 minutes, Dronfield midfielder Owen Lester did well to win the ball and feed top-scorer Callum Mawbey. He in turn supplied Matty Ord, whose shot was pushed into the side netting by the Glasshoughton stopper.
Hayes-Daubney’s busy 45 minutes continued as his mis-timed punch from a corner hit the post before being cleared by his defence and five minutes before the interval, Mawbey’s left footed strike from the edge of the area went just wide following another ball-winning challenge from Lester.
Glasshoughton’s confidence grew in the second half. Five minutes after the restart, Nana Nyarko’s low 20 yard drive was well saved by Lewis Naylor, Welfare front man Jahsiah Donaldson unable to convert the rebound.
Dronfield almost immediately went up the other end and from Ord’s left wing delivery, Sam Bebbington’s stooping header went over the bar when the utility man probably should have hit the target.
The visitors sensed a crucial point or even a win could be achieved on the break as on 57 minutes, experienced front man Nathan Perks saw his close range attempt beaten away by Naylor after he had broken free on the right hand side.
Glasshoughton had Hayes-Daubney to thank for keeping them in the game as he tipped a threatening 20 yarder from Mawbey round the post in the 63rd minute.
However, the visitors could have snatched all three points at the death. On the stroke of regulation time, Perks laid off to Nyarko, whose shot narrowly cleared Lewis Naylor’s crossbar.
Then, one minute into added time, a cross from the left saw a sliding Jonas Ndombasi put the ball wide of the post with the goal unoccupied and at his mercy.
With Dronfield unable to put the game out of reach in the first half and the combative nature of the visitors in the second period, a draw was probably a fair result. The point breaks a run of three defeats for Town, who now face Borrowash in midweek in the Derbyshire Cup before welcoming near-neighbours Shirebrook to the HE Barnes Stadium at the weekend.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Riley, Bovill, Lester, Wright, Gladwin, Chapell, Bebbington, Mark Fereday, Mawbey, Ord. Subs: Pearson, Knight, Lindores, Flower, Crowe.
Glasshoughton Welfare: Hayes-Daubney, Makwedza, Semley, Nyarko, Bernard, Gray, Ndombasi, Munashe-Mwale, Donaldson, Perks, Woodhouse. Subs: Dixon, Cunliffe.
Attendance: 92
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