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REPORT: Solitary strike sees Dronfield go down to Brigg

David Bell

Just one goal separated Dronfield Town and visitors Brigg on a bitterly cold Tuesday evening but unfortunately for the hosts, the points went the way of the North Lincolnshire outfit. An eventful evening saw a linesman absent for the second half through injury, replaced by local prominent sports journalist Alan Biggs. Brigg found themselves down to nine men in the second period with two players sin-binned but weathered the storm to claim victory through substitute Joe Pugh twelve minutes from time. Dronfield struck the bar through Charlie Stewart but now look towards another difficult encounter away at promotion-seeking Rossington on Saturday.


The game began at breakneck pace with the visitors claiming a couple of half chances that eventually came to nothing.


The first real effort of note came from Dronfield’s Charlie Stewart on 9 minutes. His curling left footed snapshot from 25 yards out bounced awkwardly in front of Brigg keeper Miles Fenty, who could only tip it out of play.


The fast paced nature of the encounter saw a spell of Brigg pressure result in a couple of corners, soon followed by Dronfield returning the favour.


Controversy struck on 32 minutes when Dronfield’s Sam Bebbington tried to pull out of a challenge but caught his opponent on the thigh. The Brigg side argued for a dismissal but the referee decided to award a yellow card much to the visitors chagrin.


Brigg ended the half with two decent opportunities. On 38 minutes, Dronfield stopper Lewis Naylor pulled off a point blank save from Josh Batty after a right wing delivery from Conner Harman. Then, three minutes from the interval, Owen Vincent’s pinpoint cross from the left saw Jack Richardson glancing his header over the bar.


A calf injury to the assistant referee saw him replaced at half time by spectating local sports reporter Alan Biggs. Biggs was charged with throw-in calls as the match official took charge of offside decisions.


A four minute spell in the second half provided some of the games more contentious moments. Dronfield’s Cam Knight and Tom Gladwin went into the book after what appeared to be a clear push in the back for their team-mate Jake Hatton.


Then, on 59 minutes, Brigg’s Conner Harman and Josh Batty were sent to the sin bin.


Unfortunately, Dronfield’s only chance with the visitors down to nine men came from a set piece. Charlie Stewart’s well struck free kick from 20 yards out skimmed the top of the bar and out of play as the rest of the spell passed by uneventfully.


Brigg withdrew Harman for substitute Joe Pugh and Dronfield replaced Regan Rooke with Mark Fereday but it was the visitors who were buoyed by their return to a full strength team.


A concerted spell of pressure paid dividends on 78 minutes when a low cross from the right was sidefooted home by substitute Pugh to give Brigg a one goal lead.


Dronfield introduced James Thorpe for Henry Adams but failed to find a way to goal for the remainder of the game, slipping to defeat by the solitary strike.


Chris Millington’s side remain in twelfth place despite the loss, still ten points clear of the bottom three with seven games left to play. The first of those games comes on Saturday when Town head to Rossington, currently third and in a playoff place in the Northern Counties East League Division One table.


Dronfield Town: Naylor, Riley, Stewart, C Knight, Hatton, Gladwin, Adams, Rooke, Mawbey, Crowe, Bebbington. Subs: Furniss, Benson, I Knight, Mark Fereday, Thorpe.


Brigg Town: Fenty, Petronzio, Boswell, Richardson, Taylor, Smaller, Harman, McCarron, Batty, Vincent, Thompson. Subs: Davy, Usher, Hutchinson, Pugh, Kavanagh.


Attendance: 88

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