Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
Dronfield Town served up another helping of UCL Cup drama but sadly exited the competition following a penalty shootout against Nuneaton Town. The Derbyshire side took a first minute lead against the runaway Premier South division leaders through Arran Bovill and held firm until Nuneaton’s leading scorer Kyle Jardine equalised on 71 minutes. The Warwickshire side took the lead four minutes from time through Declan Somel but Dronfield sent the game to spot kicks through skipper and keeper Lewis Naylor, who sidefooted home having gone up for a last minute corner. Sadly, it was Nuneaton who progressed with five successful penalties, Dronfield’s miss on their first attempt bringing their Cup run to an end. Thoughts now turn to the bread and butter of the league campaign with Chris Millington’s side heading to Radford FC next Saturday.
The game couldn’t have started in better fashion for Dronfield. Barely a minute had elapsed when Chris Simpkins’ free kick fell to Arran Bovill. The attacking midfielder’s firm shot took a deflection but still ended up in the back of Brandon Bache’s net with Town a goal to the good.
Nuneaton slowly began to demonstrate why they are unbeaten in their Step 5 division to date. The 10th minute saw a dangerous Callum Carsley cross from the left cut out by the Dronfield defence and the home side breathed another sigh of relief four minutes after.
Danico Johnson wriggled through the Dronfield rearguard but had the ball poked away from him and on the post by Dan White. Fortuitously, the ball went out of play for a corner.
Carsley made another run from deep on 16 minutes and found himself wide open but Lewis Naylor was on hand to tip his rising shot over the crossbar.
The influential Johnson saw his goalbound shot blocked by a sea of Dronfield bodies on 26 minutes, the home side mounting an impressive rearguard in the face of relentless pressure at times.
Dronfield’s best efforts came on the break and just past the half hour mark, Isaac Reardon’s right wing cross saw Nuneaton stopper Bache go down in a fifty-fifty challenge with Town’s Sam Bebbington. Bache had his head bandaged to stem the flow of blood but bravely continued to the half time whistle with Dronfield still in the lead.
Nuneaton introduced 16 goal leading scorer Kyle Jardine after the break but it was fellow striker Eesa Sawyers’ who saw his shot deflected out for a corner with nine minutes played of the second half.
Bache was forced to change his shirt as the blood made him appear like Terry Butcher in the famous photo of old but his gameplay wasn’t affected, saving an Arran Bovill strike to his left after Dronfield had made a fast break.
The Nuneaton equaliser came on 71 minutes. A right wing cross saw the talented Jardine ghosting in to beat his man and sidefoot past Naylor to make it 1-1.
Naylor was forced into action, making a useful low stop from another Jardine effort five minutes later and the game looked lost for the host when Nuneaton took the lead four minutes from time.
This time it was a ball from the left that saw Declan Somel stooping to head low past Naylor and giving the visitors a seemingly unassailable 2-1 lead.
The drama came in the final minute of the ninety. Connor Chapell’s inswinging corner was pulled back at the far post and Lewis Naylor, who had gone up for the set piece as a last ditch attempt, sidefooted home to send the Dronfield fans into delirium and the game into a penalty shootout.
Jardine was successful with the first spot kick for the visitors but sadly for Dronfield, Connor Chapell’s first kick was saved by Bache. Harrison, Recci and Carsley all found the target for Nuneaton, as did Bebbington, Stewart and Simpkins for Dronfield. Luke Jones stuttered but scored for Nuneaton as they wrapped up all five penalties to go through by 5-3.
Dronfield could be rightly proud that they had once again been more than a match for a Step 5 side, especially one that looked like they will be playing in an even higher tier next season. A similar degree of attitude and effort will be required in their upcoming league programme, which starts with a visit to Nottingham-based Radford FC next Saturday.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Bebbington, Simpkins, Reardon, Shelbourne, White, Turner, Bovill, Pashley, Bancroft, Hatton. Subs: Ord, Stewart, Benaissa, Gladwin, Chapell.
Nuneaton Town: Bache, Edwards, Carsley, McGrath, Recci, Somel, Harrison, Hesson, Sawyers, Johnson, Jones C. Subs: Hendrie, Jardine, Williams, Jones L, Marsden.
Attendance: 166
