A second consecutive 3-3 draw showed why Dronfield Town are one of the most entertaining and frustrating sides to watch in the Northern Counties East League Division One. They looked comfortable in an opening half hour where Max Rhodes gave them the lead at Athersley Recreation but proceeded to go 3-1 down thanks to a hat-trick from home centre forward Kyle Batchelor. It took last gasp goals from Sam Bebbington and Callum Mawbey to rescue a point for the men from S18, who now sit in 12th ahead of a visit from Worsbrough Bridge Athletic on Saturday.
The opening half hour was all about the visitors from North East Derbyshire. They set about their work with vigour and enthusiasm, forcing a series of early corners. It was Charlie Stewart’s away swinger on 3 minutes that found the head of Sam Bebbington, playing against his former side, as the ball evaded the far post.
James Lindores’ shot on 8 minutes was turned round the post by Ellis Pickard in the Athersley goal as Dronfield racked up their seventh corner and 9 minutes later, Bebbington failed to control Max Rhodes’ cross with the goal at his mercy.
The deadlock was broken on 24 minutes. Lindores had the presence of mind to take a quick throw to Max Rhodes, who turned his man just inside the box and blasted home an unstoppable shot to give Town the lead.
The lead was short-lived. The half hour mark saw the lively Khalid Suleiman pull the ball back to Kyle Batchelor, who fired low into the bottom corner of the goal to make it 1-1.
Athersley, who had been largely ineffectual to this point, played like a changed side for the remainder of the half. Once again, Suleiman was the danger man as his right wing ball was met by Batchelor in space, who struck the ball with the outside of his left boot to see it go into the net off the inside of the post.
Dronfield could have drawn level before half time. Mike Fereday’s 25 yard hit just skipped wide and then with the break imminent, Connor Chapell found himself in the clear but shot straight at Pickard as Athersley maintained their 2-1 advantage.
Town struggled after the break as Athersley continued to look like a different side. Dronfield introduced Mark Fereday and Cam Knight for Mike Fereday and Harry Walker but it was the home team who extended their lead.
The ball skewed to Batchelor on 70 minutes, who volleyed into the goal for his hat-trick and to put Athersley up by 3-1.
Dronfield kept ringing the changes as little seemed to go right. Joe Pearson came on for James Lindores and Nick Benson for Max Rhodes but a Mark Fereday free kick being tipped round the post by Pickard was all they had to show for it.
Athersley, who had been relatively comfortable to this point began to unravel towards the end of the game. Pickard received a yellow card for pushing Fereday over as he was going away from goal.
Dronfield threw the kitchen sink at the final few minutes and claimed a point that had seemed unlikely moments earlier.
Another excellent Charlie Stewart set piece free kick from the left flank was met acrobatically at the back post by the head of Sam Bebbington to make it 3-2.
And then, two minutes later, Joe Pearson’s ball from the right was finished at close range by Callum Mawbey to level matters at 3-3.
Town may have even snatched the win at the death, such was their momentum but the final whistle signalled a point gained rather than three lost.
The latest draw means that Dronfield have now lost only once in their last ten games but fall to twelfth in the table ahead of the visit of Worsbrough Bridge Athletic to the HE Barnes Stadium on Saturday.
Athersley Recreation: Pickard, Hunt, Auty, Ward, Lambert, Howell, Suleiman, Clark, Batchelor, McQuillin, Briscoe. Subs: Coutinho Mestre, Thornton, Sheppard, Berry, Mills.
Dronfield Town: Hudson, Mike Fereday, Stewart, Walker, Riley, White, Chapell, Mawbey, Rhodes, Bebbington, Lindores. Subs: Benson, Knight, Pearson, Mark Fereday, Lester.
Attendance: 86
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