Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
There was derby day delight for Dronfield Town who ran out 2-0 winners against near-neighbours Swallownest FC in the post-Christmas fixture. Max Rhodes’ penalty just before half time underlined a solid opening 45 minutes for the visitors and Dronfield pushed on to see Matty Ord secure the points midway through the second half. Town’s victory was underlined by a committed display from one to eleven and they climb to fourteenth in the United Counties League Division One table as a result. The New Year starts for Chris Millington’s men with a journey to playoff-seeking South Normanton Athletic on January 3rd.
A heavy pitch meant that some of the early exchanges weren’t quite for the purist and Dronfield appeared to have a reasonable shout for a penalty on 6 minutes when a good head on by Luke Walker saw Max Rhodes go down in the box, the referee being uninterested by the claim however.
Swallownest suffered a blow on the quarter of an hour mark. Central defender Nathan Taylor left the field blood-stained and with a potential broken nose as the hosts were forced to shuffle their pack.
The remainder of the half was largely played out in Swallownest territory as a Luke Walker effort went comfortably wide in the 25th minute.
Walker was involved once again just past the half hour mark. A right wing cross was met by the bustling striker, whose first time strike was gathered down low by Swall keeper Harley Middleton.
Town’s reward came a minute before the interval. Walker took a foot to the face in the area from Swallownest’s Evan Fortune-West leaving the referee with the simple task of pointing to the spot. Max Rhodes blasted the penalty low to Middleton’s right-hand side to give Dronfield a 1-0 lead.
Both sides came out with a committed attitude after half time, which added to an enjoyable festive derby. The hour mark saw Matty Ord’s free kick from the left flank put wide of the goal by Dan Shelbourne at the back post for Dronfield.
Dronfield doubled their lead on 65 minutes. Matty Ord had the presence of mind to chase down Swallownest stopper Middleton at the top of the area, win the ball and place a shot just inside the far post of the empty goal to put Town 2-0 to the good.
Dronfield’s display was typified by the midfield duo of Arran Bovill and Alex Appleyard, who won several crunching tackles in the centre circle.
It was a Bovill through-ball that put Luke Walker in the clear on 76 minutes but the striker was unable to claim the goal his performance deserved, his shot from the edge of the box going wide of the mark.
Ord was involved again nine minutes from time when he dinked his shot over the bar from around the penalty spot.
Swallownest battled gamely and Dronfield skipper Lewis Naylor was forced into a useful low stop from Cam Harris as the encounter wore on.
Equally, at the other end, Middleton was called into action to stop Max Rhodes’ rising effort two minutes from time and even two innocuous-looking yellow cards for Callum Mawbey and Arran Bovill in the dying embers couldn’t mar what had been a very satisfying performance from the North Derbyshire outfit.
Town rise one place to fourteenth but level on points with the three sides above them as they look forward to a New Year encounter at sixth-ranked South Normanton Athletic next Saturday.
Swallownest FC: Middleton, Skelton, Case, Harris, Taylor, Brown, Lakin, Nettleship, Fortune-West, Muirhead, Butcher-Simpson. Subs: Johnson, Gillott, Hardeman, Struggles, Nweke.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Reardon, Stewart, Appleyard, Shelbourne, Mawbey, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Walker, Ord. Subs: Bancroft, Hunt, Bebbington, Gladwin, Simpkins.
Attendance: 186
Photo: Dan Westwell
