Dronfield Town collected a thoroughly deserved point on their travels at third-placed Dearne & District. The Derbyshire side took the game to their higher-ranked opponents in an entertaining first 45 minutes, going ahead through Max Rhodes’ 41st minute goal. The second half was something more of a rearguard, especially after Justin Circuit had levelled for the hosts on 54 minutes. However, the effort and application from Dronfield was deserving of some reward from the encounter and there are signs that confidence is building ahead of their next game on the road at Yorkshire Amateur.
Dronfield set up in the 4-4-2 formation that had served them well in last week’s victory over Club Thorne Colliery and their lively front duo of Max Rhodes and James Lindores caused problems from the off.
Town should have had a penalty on 8 minutes. Cameron Knight went down just inside the area but the referee blew for a free kick rather than the spot kick it should have been. Sadly, the set piece came to nothing.
Dronfield’s forward pressure almost got them on the scoresheet three minutes later. Callum Riley, again filling the right midfield berth, struck the base of the post as Dearne stopper George Bristol pulled off a good save from the follow-up attempt.
Dearne’s strikers have propelled them up the table and on 20 minutes, nine-goal man Shay Evans-Booth saw his right footed effort deflect off the Dronfield defence and on to the crossbar before being scrambled clear.
An overhead kick from Brandon Burke was well saved to his right by Town skipper Lewis Naylor just shy of the half hour mark but Dronfield continued to take the game to Dearne.
Pressure on Bristol saw him fluff his clearance on 37 minutes with the ball rebounding to James Lindores. The Town striker was some distance from goal but managed to lift his effort over the bar of the empty net as Dearne received an almighty let-off.
Dronfield did take the lead on 41 minutes however. A Sam Bebbington long throw was headed on by Callum Mawbey as Max Rhodes got in front of his man and steered the ball home from close range to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
The second half saw Dronfield under pressure for long spells as Dearne inevitably sought a way back into the contest. Just three minutes after the resumption, Lewis Naylor saved from Dearne sub Ben Dyer; Evans-Booth unable to convert the follow-up chance.
Dearne did get level on 54 minutes however. Marauding full back Josh McKay crossed from the right flank and Justin Circuit was on hand to slot home and make it 1-1.
Dearne grew in confidence and three minutes after, Brandon Burke scuffed his shot on to the post to give Dronfield a let-off.
McKay was a nuisance in the second period and another testing ball from the right was headed wide of the far post by Circuit when he really should have hit the mark.
The 77th minute saw yet another McKay delivery headed over by Evans-Booth; Dronfield having to be satisfied with a series of trademark long-throws that caused trouble in the box but ultimately failed to result in clear-cut chances.
The late introduction of Matt Thorpe and the returning Ethan Flower helped shore up the Town rearguard and upon the final whistle, the Derbyshire outfit could be pleased with a hard-working display that had earned them a fully-deserved point against one of the better sides in the division.
Town now face a midweek trip to bottom side Yorkshire Amateur before returning to the HE Barnes Stadium at the weekend to take on Glasshoughton Welfare.
Dearne & District: Bristol, McKay, Wilkinson, Grove, Knox, Dacre, Burke, Phillips, Evans-Booth, Circuit, Lowe. Subs: Outram-Jeffrey, Cotson, Waldron, Dyer, King.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Bebbington, Noble, Knight, Mawbey, Gladwin, Chapell, Stewart, Rhodes, Lindores, Riley. Subs: Thorpe J, Thorpe M, Flower, Appleyard, Wing.
Attendance: 160
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