
Dronfield Town fell to a fourth league defeat on the trot with a 2-0 loss away at Selby Town. Injury and absence again beset the Derbyshire side as a largely scrappy game played out in front of a crowd of 210. A goal in either half gave victory to the hosts as again lots of endeavour from Dronfield failed to produce enough of a threat in the final third of the pitch. Dronfield now fall to thirteenth in the Northern Counties East League Division One ahead of the visit of fifth placed Horbury Town to the HE Barnes Stadium next week.
Dronfield shuffled the pack once more in the light of injury to striker Mark Fereday, bringing James Lindores and Matt Crowe into the starting eleven with a 4-4-2 formation.
The opening half hour was imminently forgettable. The first of a series of frustrating foul calls from the officials arose in the sixth minute. From the resulting free kick, Selby’s Harry Clapham saw his backheeled effort saved by Lewis Naylor and from the resulting corner, Alex Burton blazed over from six yards out when it looked easier to hit the target.
To their credit, Dronfield’s defensive shape looked tidier than in recent games but it took until the twenty eighth minute before they got a shot in anger. James Lindores free kick from the left hand side was comfortably saved by Jamie Hassall in the Selby goal however.
Dronfield went behind in the thirtieth minute. The visitors lost the ball in midfield allowing Selby to put the pacy Clapham in the clear. He slotted home from twelve yards out to put Selby one goal to the good.
It took until added time in the first half for Dronfield to threaten again. Tom Gladwin’s cross from the left just evaded Lindores as Selby maintained their one goal advantage at the break.
Dronfield opened the second half brightly. Arran Bovill carried the ball forward from midfield but his shot from the edge of the box was at a comfortable height for Selby stopper Hassall.
The niggly fouls blown by the officials saw the start of a series of yellow cards for both sides – Dronfield’s Sam Bebbington and Selby’s Kyle Fish picking up bookings as the game was prevented from being allowed to flow.
Dronfield conceded a second on sixty eight minutes. A long ball forward from half way saw Jake Hatton attempt an interception but unfortunately his outstretched leg only served to steer the ball past Lewis Naylor and make it 2-0 to Selby.
Town withdrew Henry Adams and Matt Crowe and introduced Callum Riley and Ethan Flower, with Sam Bebbington being given a more advanced role. Selby also saw Conor Qualter sent to the sin bin as Dronfield sensed an opportunity.
A spell of increased pressure saw Hassall make a save to his right hand side from Callum Mawbey’s twelve yard effort as brothers Cam and Isaac Knight entered the game from the Dronfield bench.
A neat interchange of passes from the siblings came to nothing but Isaac Knight’s attempt four minutes from time again saw Hassall claim the ball at a comfortable height.
Charlie Clamp’s rising twenty yarder for Selby two minutes from the end was the final action of an encounter that was low on moments of real quality, the hosts undoubtedly the happier with their sixth win in seven games.
Dronfield will hope that their significantly changed side can finally get the rub of the green when playoff-chasing league newcomers Horbury Town are the visitors to the HE Barnes Stadium on Saturday.
Selby Town: Hassall, McGrath, Heeley, Danby, Smith, Qualter, Fish, Davison, Flanagan, Burton, Clapham. Subs: Cooper, Clamp, Lumb, Palmer, Kerr.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Bebbington, Gladwin, Lester, Wright, Hatton, Lindores, Bovill, Crowe, Mawbey, Adams. Subs: C Knight, I Knight, Rooke, Flower, Riley.
Attendance: 210
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