Selby Town’s Fairfax Plant Hire Stadium has rarely been a happy hunting ground for Dronfield Town in recent years but the North Derbyshire side righted that wrong with a very pleasing 3-1 win in their latest NCEL Division One game. A reshuffled Town starting eleven took a 12th minute lead through Oli Townsend only to see Tawheed Ahmed equalise ten minutes before half time. An incident-laden second period saw Dronfield wrap up the three points through a Sam Bebbington penalty and a poacher’s effort from top scorer Max Rhodes. Town rise to eighth in the table as a result, ahead of a midweek trip to Beverley Town who are currently in the playoff berths.
Dronfield were forced to move the versatile Callum Mawbey to an unfamiliar centre half position and gave a start to Oli Townsend. Both acquitted themselves admirably as Town made a solid start to the encounter. After Selby dangerman Tawheed Ahmed had curled a shot wide inside the opening 2 minutes, Dronfield almost took the lead when James Lindores turned the ball over the bar after a mesmeric break from defence by Arran Bovill.
The breakthrough did come on 12 minutes however. A right footed cross from the left flank by Sam Bebbington was met by Townsend, whose header looped over a scrambling Alfie Burnett in the Selby goal to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Whereas Dronfield had the better of the opening 20 minutes, Selby went on to create several chances up to half time. Declan Racher brought out a low save to Lewis Naylor’s right hand side and the same player wriggled through the Dronfield rearguard on 29 minutes, only for the visitor’s captain to pull off another stop with one hand before the ball was scrambled clear.
Selby did get back on level terms on 35 minutes. Racher’s break down the left wing resulted in a cross to the back post that was turned in at close range by Ahmed to make it 1-1.
The North Yorkshire outfit had opportunities to go in front before the interval. Ahmed’s cross resulted in Charlie Smith’s header going narrowly wide and Lewis Naylor was called into action in first half stoppage time, tipping over the bar from Selby striker Harry Clapham.
A back injury to Dronfield’s Owen Lester saw him replaced by Tom Gladwin at half time as the second period began in controversial circumstances. The Town sub was sent to the sinbin as the officials appeared to make rather a hash of what should have been a relatively straight forward decision.
Going down to ten men actually spurred on the visitors, who went on to command the remainder of the contest.
Dronfield went back in front on 57 minutes. Kenan McKenzie-Grey, who was a threat for much of the afternoon, was felled in the penalty area. Sam Bebbington stepped up to place a well-struck spot kick to the left of Burnett and send Town into a 2-1 lead. To add insult to injury, Selby’s Ryan Gothard was also sent to the sinbin as the teams were levelled up to ten apiece.
The visitors continued to be a menace with lively attacking play. The 70th minute saw Mawbey make a useful turn and shot, Burnett proving equal to the task on this occasion.
Selby made a raft of substitutions, including withdrawing the lively Ahmed, in a bid to give fresh impetus but Town were more than equal to the task. A third decisive goal came nine minutes from time.
Leading scorer Max Rhodes gambled on the ball reaching the back post and turned it in from an acute angle past Burnett to secure the three points for Dronfield.
The fully-deserved win sees Town climb two places to eighth in the Northern Counties East League Division One table. There is a 13 point gap to their opponents on Tuesday night, Beverley Town, who currently reside in the fifth and final playoff spot.
Selby Town: Burnett, Marsh, Smith, Danby, Gothard, Bailey, Racher, Davison, Clapham, Dry, Ahmed. Subs: Greening, Fish, Rowley, McGrath, St Juste.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Mike Fereday, Bebbington, Lester, Bovill, Mawbey, Chapell, Lindores, Rhodes, Townsend, McKenzie-Grey. Subs: Gladwin, White, Benson, Mark Fereday, Siddons.
Attendance: 219
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