An incident-packed game containing seven goals and a sending-off played out at the Dagger Diving Stadium but Dronfield Town came out on the wrong side of a 4-3 scoreline against Harrogate Railway Athletic. The Rail were the better side in a 2-1 first half, taking the lead through Harry Lynn with Eliel Anko getting a second, punctuated by a Max Rhodes reply. Town were a more formidable prospect in the second 45 minutes, getting on level terms through a Sam Bebbington penalty before Anko restored the Harrogate lead. Anko got his marching orders for a second yellow card shortly after as Rhodes made it 3-3 before a Sam Clothier strike gave the hosts a 4-3 victory.
The signs were ominous in the opening minutes when Harrogate’s Harris Eggleston fizzed a right wing delivery across the face of goal and shortly after, Town stopper Jake Balme tipped another on to the crossbar.
The Rail took the lead on 23 minutes. Dronfield failed to clear from a Harrogate break as Harry Lynn followed up to smash the ball home from 12 yards to make it 1-0.
Although the hosts had the bulk of the possession, it was Town who got back on level terms on 42 minutes. A Connor Chapell free kick from the left was expertly turned home by leading scorer Max Rhodes to give the visitors a way back into the contest.
A quick free kick saw Callum Riley unleash a piledriver at Rail keeper Billy Hick a couple of minutes after but Harrogate took the lead on the stroke of the interval.
Eliel Anko burst through the centre of the Dronfield defence and had the easiest of tasks to slip the ball beyond Balme to make it 2-1.
A different Dronfield emerged from the changing rooms after half time. Callum Mawbey’s strike just after the break went narrowly wide of Hick’s left hand post and the same player headed into the Rail stopper’s hands moments later.
Town did get level on 53 minutes. Chapell received a clear kick to the shins, giving the referee no option but to point to the spot. Sam Bebbington stepped up to drill the penalty past Hick with the score at 2-2.
A resurgent Dronfield saw substitute Cam Knight hit a sublime 25 yarder that came back off the crossbar on the hour mark but Harrogate restored their lead five minutes later.
Substitute Dyllan Drovi beat his man down the right flank and squared for Anko to put Rail in front by 3-2.
Anko’s evening came to an end shortly after when a yellow card for his second infringement saw him banished from the game.
A moment of sheer opportunism saw Dronfield pull level once again. Hick in the Harrogate goal rolled the ball out to make a clearance, only for Max Rhodes to steal it from him and tap it into the empty net for his tenth of the campaign.
The drama wasn’t finished there. Ten man Harrogate went on the attack through Sam Clothier, who hit a dipping shot from the left hand side that beat Jake Balme to make it 4-3.
Five minutes of added time were played and at the death, Billy Wright thought he had earned Dronfield a point, heading in from close range. The assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside despite a Harrogate player apparently being stationed on the goal-line.
It was yet another frustrating result for Dronfield, making their second longest away journey on a difficult Tuesday night. The equally-challenging visit of leaders Horbury Town to the HE Barnes Stadium awaits them in their next fixture.
Harrogate Railway Athletic: Hick, Attakorah, Darvill, Mutch, Kalonji, Atkinson, Clothier, Lynn, Anko, de Santis, Eggleston. Subs: Okoro, Drovi, Anderson, Hughes-Miller, Umpleby
Dronfield Town: Balme, Bebbington, Noble, Lester, Wright, Chapell, Stewart, Rhodes, Mawbey, Riley, Hobson. Subs: Gladwin, Lindores, Ord, Knight, Naylor.
Attendance: 74
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