Dronfield Town made it three wins from the last four games with a hard-working display away at Swallownest FC. An even first half played out on a very heavy surface through goals from Dronfield’s Joe Pearson and Swallownest’s Jack Haslam but a dogged second half effort from the visitors saw them take all three points. Matty Ord’s deflected free kick and an own goal from Swallownest’s Josh Scully took Town to a 3-1 win and a move up to eighth in the Northern Counties East League Division One table.
An understandably heavy pitch greeted both sides with the volume of rain that had fell in the previous week. The opening twenty minutes was largely uneventful albeit with Dronfield having the better of the possession in the Swallownest half. That advantage eventually told when the visitors took the lead.
A long ball from the back found Joe Pearson in space and he calmly lifted the ball over former Dronfield keeper Steven Booth in the Swallownest net to put Town up by 1-0.
Strikes from the edge of the area by Connor Chapell and Callum Mawbey proved that Dronfield’s tails were up but their lead was to only last seven minutes.
A marginal decision saw the linesman decide that Swallownest’s Jack Haslam was indeed onside and from his clean-through position, he coolly slipped the ball past Lewis Naylor to make it 1-1.
The equaliser buoyed Swallownest, who on 31 minutes saw a threatening 25 yard free kick from Josh Scully tipped over the bar by Naylor and just two minutes later, Callum Riley headed Lucas Delfaco’s shot off the line in spectacular fashion.
The half ended controversially. Dronfield thought they had won a penalty when a foul which appeared to be comfortably in area was deemed to merely be a free kick and when Callum Mawbey appeared to have easily beaten his man in the middle of the park, a baffling free kick was awarded against the Dronfield player. An incensed Town manager Chris Millington collected a yellow card for dissent as the players left the field at half time.
The second half began with Delfaco’s sliding effort being saved by the legs of Naylor inside the opening minute.
Billy Wright’s clip on Haslam from behind earned Dronfield their fourth yellow card of what really wasn’t a dirty encounter but for the remaining forty minutes of the half, the game was well controlled by the Derbyshire side.
Town regained the lead on 67 minutes. The marauding Matty Ord beat the offside trap, only to be brought down some 25 yards from goal. Ord stepped up to take the free kick he had won and saw his attempt deflected past Booth in the Swallownest goal to make it 1-2.
Dronfield wrapped up the three points on 74 minutes. Connor Chapell’s unthreatening-looking shot was turned past Booth in the Swallownest net by Josh Scully for an own goal to give Town an unassailable advantage at 1-3.
The hard-working display sees Dronfield climb to eighth in the Northern Counties East League Division One table after three wins and a draw in the last four games in all competitions.
Dronfield welcome tenth-placed Armthorpe Welfare to the HE Barnes Stadium on Friday evening (2nd December) for a 7.45pm kick off
Swallownest FC: Booth, Sawyer, Cooper, Williamson, Haigh, Butchart, Haslam, Scully, Frost, Grady, Delfaco. Subs: Skelton, Adiele, Monteiro, Bytheway, McQuillin.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Bebbington, Gladwin, Lester, Wright, Riley, Chapell, Mawbey, Mark Fereday, Pearson, Ord. Subs: Flower, Rooke, Crowe, Lindores, Knight.
Attendance: 83
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