Dronfield Town’s Central Midlands Football League side came up against formidable opposition in the shape of Retford United in extremely blustery conditions. The Nottinghamshire side are gearing up for a return to Step 6 in the pyramid and were rampant against a young, but enthusiastic Town XI.
Retford ran in five goals unanswered in the first half despite howling gales at the HE Barnes Stadium. They opened their account on eight minutes when striker Dean Conway placed a quality finish from twenty yards out past Town custodian Steven Booth.
They doubled that lead just ten minutes later when Nix burst from midfield and found West out on the right hand side. West squared to Conway, who had the easiest of tasks to tap into the empty net.
Innocent Huly provided Dronfield’s first effort of the half with a glancing header from Kitchen’s set piece but Retford went three up just past the half hour mark. Igor Mylnarski raced down the left flank and despite Booth getting a foot to his shot, it still finished in the back of the Dronfield net.
Retford’s fourth came on 39 minutes when Daughtrey delicately lifted the ball over Booth to extend the advantage.
Conway completed his hat-trick before half time. He was fed by West, beating the offside trap according to the assistant referee and rounded Booth to put the visitors five up at the break.
Despite facing a mountain to climb, the young Dronfield side came out the better at the beginning of the second half. Jason Slew’s skewed shot instinctively found Liam O’Brien and his tap went just past the far post.
However, Retford extended their lead on 63 minutes when Zach Casburn exploited the Town defence to round Booth and make it six.
Their seventh came on 70 minutes when a ball in from the left saw a neat step over for Conway to claim his fourth with a tidy left foot finish.
A better forty five minutes for Dronfield was signalled by hard-working performances from O’Kane, Slew and substitute Zac Hameed but it was Retford who wrapped up an 0-8 win on the stroke of full time.
The influential Conway fed Casburn, who once again went round Booth to wrap up a seventh successive win and cement Retford’s challenge in third place in the table.
Elsewhere, there was a much improved display from Dronfield’s Northern Counties East League side away at league leaders Skegness Town. It took a 48th minute effort from Field for Skegness to separate the sides as the Lincolnshire outfit held on for a narrow 1-0 win. Dronfield head to Glasshoughton in the league next Saturday.
Dronfield Town: Booth, Hogg, Kitchen, Hunter, Beardow, Carpenter, Huly, Clark, O’Kane, Slew, O’Brien.
Retford United: Crosby, Lawrence, Walters, Abdulla, Brook, Swales, Daughtrey, Nix, Mylnarski, West, Conway.
Attendance: 52