
Dronfield Town dominated their encounter with Glasshoughton Welfare but had to settle for a point in a dramatic finish. The Derbyshire side looked to be headed for victory thanks to goals from Callum Mawbey and Callum Riley either side of half time. Despite Dronfield’s control of the game, Glasshoughton pulled one back through recent signing Liam Flanagan in the 86th minute and secured a point through a Miguel Cassama penalty one minute into added time. On the positive side, it was a third straight impressive display from Town to set them up for forthcoming games against Harrogate Railway Athletic and leaders Horbury Town.
The game couldn’t have started any better for Dronfield. Only six minutes had elapsed when a Connor Chapell outswinging corner was headed home by Callum Mawbey, skipper for the day in the absence of stopper Lewis Naylor.
Dronfield’s front pairing of Max Rhodes and James Lindores have excelled with their pressing game in recent encounters and the 11th minute mark saw Lindores flick the ball goalwards with the outside of his boot after a pinpoint ball from the left by Tom Gladwin. Glasshoughton’s James Leverton was equal to the task on this occasion however.
Town had the ball in the net on 13 minutes but the assistant referee ruled out Max Rhodes’ 6 yard finish for offside.
The North Derbyshire side had a left-off on 18 minutes when Callum Riley headed into his own goal past Jake Balme after a dangerous ball in from the left hand side but the match referee ruled it out for an earlier infringement. The fall out from the disallowed goal saw a member of the Glasshoughton coaching staff sent from the field with a red card.
Glasshoughton’s only real chance of the half saw Liam Flanagan’s 25 yard free kick well saved by Dronfield keeper Balme as Rhodes saw another effort ruled out for offside after half an hour.
A dominant half for Dronfield saw Glasshoughton charge down attempts from Lindores and shortly after, Cameron Knight, as the whistle blew with the scoreline at 1-0.
The second half continued in much the same pattern. A delightful turn from Rhodes in the
opening minute saw the West Yorkshire side desperately defending once more, preventing Dronfield from extending their lead.
Balme claimed another free kick from Flanagan on 58 minutes but Town did get their second a minute later.
A burst into the box by Callum Riley saw him fire home from the edge of the 6 yard area for an all-too-rare goal at 2-0.
Dronfield produced wave after wave of attack and Riley almost sealed the game on 85 minutes. His strike was deflected up on to the crossbar off a Glasshoughton defender in a move that surely would have kept maximum points in S18.
However, Glasshoughton pulled one back a minute after. Flanagan bundled the ball home with his head from barely a yard out as the visitors sensed an unexpected way back into the game at 2-1.
Glasshoughton secured an unlikely point one minute into added time from the penalty spot. Billy Wright was adjudged to have upended Welfare substitute Thomas Palmer just inside the area, picking up a yellow card for his trouble to boot. Burly striker Miguel Cassama calmly slotted past Balme to send his side back up the M1 with a point few would have credited them with only 5 minutes earlier.
Despite the obvious disappointment in not claiming the win, Dronfield must take the positives from another impressive performance against a side four places higher than themselves at the start of play.
A midweek road trip to a similarly-placed side, Harrogate Railway, follows in midweek with the visit of leaders Horbury Town to the HE Barnes Stadium to follow next Saturday.
Dronfield Town: Balme, Bebbington, Gladwin, Knight, Mawbey, Wright, Chapell, Stewart, Rhodes, Lindores, Riley. Subs: Hobson, Thorpe M, Lester, Pearson, Noble.
Glasshoughton Welfare: Leverton, Garfoot, Tyson, Conteh Samateh, Walsh, Weaver, Fish K, Fish R, Flanagan, Cassama, Learmouth. Subs: Pearse, Batley, Palmer, Rawcliffe, Hickey.
Attendance: 152
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