Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
The script couldn’t have been followed better as Chris Millington signed off after ten years as Dronfield Town Manager with a 6-1 victory over Dunkirk FC. A club record crowd of 506 packed into the Stonelow Stadium to see Town take a 2-1 half time lead through Sam Bebbington and Max Rhodes, after Matt Crawford had given the visitors the lead. The game remained close until the final thirteen minutes when a four goal salvo gave Dronfield a memorable win. Rhodes added his second of the game with Emmanuel Rogers splitting a pair of Arran Bovill efforts as the 6-1 victory saw Town climb to sixteenth in the UCL Division One table. The win was a fitting way to end Millington’s career as they look forward to the first game of the Lewis Naylor era, away at West Bridgford FC next Saturday.
Dunkirk showed why they were seventh in the table before the start of play in the early stages. A fifth minute pull back from the bye line saw Josh Scully sky his shot over debutant Jacob Price’s crossbar.
Price was called into action again on 19 minutes. He made a decent save to his right hand side from Alex Troke’s 20 yard free kick.
Dronfield began to get a footing in the game and on 27 minutes, an excellent run and cross down the right side from Max Rhodes ended with Alex Wilkinson skying his shot over the crossbar at the end of the move.
It was Dunkirk who made the first mark however. A relatively tame cross from the right hand side wasn’t cut out by the Dronfield defence and found an unmarked Matt Crawford at the back post, who tapped in with ease to make it 1-0.
Crawford’s goal was the first of three in just four minutes as Town hit back immediately. Angus Pritchett in the Dunkirk goal could only palm away Alex Wilkinson’s stinging shot and Captain for the day Sam Bebbington was on hand to nod in from close range to level matters.
Just three minutes later, Dronfield took the lead. Another scramble in the Dunkirk area saw both the returning Arran Bovill and Max Rhodes close at hand and it was Rhodes who stabbed the ball home to make it 2-1.
The game opened up a good deal more in the second 45 minutes. Price was forced into a good low stop from Tony Gbopo immediately after the resumption but equally, Pritchett had to tip Wilkinson’s 20 yard free kick over the crossbar just moments after.
Wilkinson again impressed in only his second outing in a Dronfield shirt and on 54 minutes, another of Bebbington’s long throws was headed on by Bovill and volleyed narrowly over the bar by the young striker.
A memorable three points was sealed in a scintillating last 13 minutes for Dronfield. The 77th minute saw Rhodes latch on to a neat through ball and he dinked it equally neatly over Pritchett and into the net to make it 3-1.
The fourth came on 80 minutes. Substitute Callum Martin’s left wing delivery was only cleared to the top of the box where Arran Bovill took charge, burying it into the bottom corner at 4-1.
Price continued his excellent debut, saving from Jack Oldham’s diving header and then Ryan Hlabangana’s top corner bound strike before Dronfield wrapped up the win with two further goals.
With a minute to go, Town sub Emmanuel Rogers danced inside from the right flank and fired home inside the area with his left boot to make it 5-1.
Then, as added time came around, Dunkirk failed to clear a corner and Bovill was on hand to blast in for his second of the encounter with the scoreline at 6-1.
Outgoing Manager Chris Millington was given a guard of honour at the end of the fixture in recognition of his 10 years service for the club, who will be led by long-serving goalkeeper Lewis Naylor into their next fixture at West Bridgford on Saturday.
Dronfield Town: Price, Reardon, Stewart, Appleyard, Morgan, Ireland, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Bebbington, Wilkinson. Subs: Leader, Martin, Rogers, Walker, Watters.
Dunkirk FC: Pritchett, Gbopo, Chambers, Crawford, Williamson, Harrison J, Fitch, Scully, Troke, Harrison G, Oldham. Subs: Daft, Hines, Goddard, Hlabangana, Softleigh-Moore.
Attendance: 506
