Dronfield Town claimed the scalp of another top ten team with a hard-working 2-1 victory away at Maltby Main. The North East Derbyshire side took the game to their opponents from the off and took an early lead through a deflected Owen Lester header before going on to dominate the first half. The second 45 minutes was a greater battle but Town got their second through Max Rhodes ten minutes from time. A late Ashley Flynn strike for Maltby led to a tense finish but the fully-deserved three points saw the men from S18 climb to 14th in the Northern Counties East League Division One. A midweek break from league action now follows as attentions turn to the Derbyshire Senior Cup.
Dronfield took the game to Maltby from the first whistle. They forced three corners inside the first three minutes and took the lead from a fourth.
Matty Ord’s inswinger was met by the head of Owen Lester. The firm momentum of his header saw the ball strike the woodwork and rebound into the goal off Maltby keeper Henry Kendrick to put Town a goal to the good.
Lester almost got a second after 7 minutes. Sam Bebbington’s long throw was flicked on by Arran Bovill as far as the Dronfield midfield dynamo. His shot thundered off the post and bounced away to safety for a relieved Maltby defence.
Town continued to dominate and the 21st minute saw a delightful move find Callum Riley on the right flank. His testing low cross was scrambled away by an overworked Maltby rearguard.
It took fully half an hour for Maltby to create anything resembling a chance. Emilian Mazur’s shot from the edge of the box went well wide of the mark however.
Dronfield sought a second goal that their performance had warranted and on 34 minutes, Matty Ord’s free kick from the middle of the park was met by the head of Sam Bebbington, bringing out an excellent save from Kendrick in the Maltby goal.
Kendrick also rescued the Miners one minute from the break. Max Rhodes made a fast break down the right and stung the Maltby custodian’s hands with a fierce drive just before the teams headed to the changing rooms.
The hosts rang the changes just after the restart, introducing prolific striker Ashley Flynn as one of three substitutions.
The game became a very tense battle with chances few and far between for both sides. Dronfield however managed to absorb any pressure they were put under and looked very impressive when they played at their own tempo.
They got their reward in the 80th minute with a second goal. A long clearance from Town stopper Lewis Naylor found Sam Bebbington on the right. He squared for Max Rhodes to slide in and force the ball into the net for his 13th of the season and Dronfield’s second of the afternoon.
Just one minute later, Rhodes stung Kendrick’s hands once more with a fierce shot that rebounded out for a corner.
Two minutes from time, with the game apparently won, Maltby had other ideas. The prolific Flynn showed his scoring credentials, bursting through the middle and slotting the ball past Naylor to make it 1-2.
Four of the five minutes of added time were safely negotiated before the referee awarded Maltby a free kick in a dangerous position. Flynn’s attempt went tamely out of play though, giving Dronfield a hard-working and thoroughly deserved victory.
Dronfield take a break from league action with the visit of Glossop North End to the HE Barnes Stadium on Tuesday evening in the Derbyshire Senior Cup and follow that up by hosting Nostell back in the league on Saturday.
Maltby Main: Kendrick, Kelly, Mazur, Washington, Morton, Tambini, Warne, Stead, Walker, Walton, Guarini. Subs: Ripley, Ward, Flynn, Pilling, Varley.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Riley, Noble, Lester, Gladwin, Wright, Thorpe, Bovill, Rhodes, Bebbington, Ord. Subs: Knight, Siddons, Flower, Lindores, Mawbey.
Attendance: 84
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