Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
A spirited Dronfield Town put up an excellent display to defeat Dunkirk FC on the road in their latest UCL Division One fixture. Town took the game to their Nottinghamshire hosts from the off and were rewarded with a Luke Walker goal on 15 minutes. They doubled their advantage on 28 minutes when Ryan Watters outpaced the Dunkirk defence to slot home and they wrapped up a pleasing three points with a Sam Bebbington penalty nine minutes from time. The win takes the North Derbyshire side back up to 12th in the table ahead of a run of three consecutive games at the Stonelow Stadium, starting with a derby encounter with Staveley MW on Tuesday evening.
The early stages saw both sides getting acquainted with one another. Dan Shelbourne’s shot on 7 minutes went wide of the mark and Lewis Naylor was forced to save from former EFL frontman Craig Westcarr on the 10 minute mark.
Dronfield grew into the game however and on 15 minutes were rewarded with the lead. Town’s front three were a threat all afternoon and young wide man Arthur Pashley delivered an excellent cross from the left to the back post where Sam Bebbington’s header came back off the Dunkirk woodwork. Fortunately, it only rebounded as far as striker Luke Walker who despatched it home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
With the front three playing high on the Dunkirk backline, Bebbington’s flick on in the 25th minute found Pashley, whose shot was comfortably claimed by Ryan Howes in the Dunkirk goal.
The lead doubled three minutes after. Full debutant Niall Butchart played a useful ball forward in midfield that found Ryan Watters. The energetic midfield dynamo outpaced the Dunkirk defence and slotted coolly past Howes to make it 2-0.
Dunkirk had their moments. Lewis Naylor made a low stop from the host’s Dior Anderson ten minutes before the break and the half concluded when a testing 25 yard strike from Connor Chapell was palmed away by Howes to his right hand side.
The second half opened with Sam Bebbington seeing his shot on the angle saved by Howes but as expected there was a reaction from Dunkirk. Their pressing game tested Dronfield but didn’t seem to result in many clear-cut chances.
The excellent Arthur Pashley, in a man of the match display, made two very threatening runs down the left around the hour mark and this was tempered by a couple of useful Noah Softleigh-Moore crosses for Dunkirk that were both well-claimed by Town’s Lewis Naylor.
The Dronfield defence was largely solid all afternoon and were tested on 76 minutes when a neat lay off from Westcarr found Anderson but he scuffed his shot wide.
Town wrapped up the three points on 81 minutes. Substitute Arran Bovill’s marauding run down the left ended with Dunkirk’s Ben Maxwell handling his fierce goalbound shot. Maxwell received a red card for his troubles and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Sam Bebbington’s well-struck kick ended in Ryan Howe’s bottom right hand corner and Dronfield were three goals to the good.
Lewis Naylor had to tip over from a teasing Christian Newbold cross in added time but the comprehensive win was nothing less than Dronfield deserved.
Town climb back to 12th in the UCL Division One table as a result with 8 games remaining of their season. The next three all take place at the Stonelow Stadium, starting with the local derby encounter with Staveley MW on Tuesday evening. The Trojans are five points off the playoffs currently but have a team capable of closing that gap so another intriguing fixture is on the cards.
Dunkirk FC: Howes, Diver, Beno, Wilcox, Maxwell, Irvine, Anderson, Burton, Westcarr, Williams, Softleigh-Moore. Subs: Newbold, Payne, Harrison, James.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Reardon, Gladwin, Watters, Shelbourne, Mawbey, Chapell, Butchart, Bebbington, Walker, Pashley. Subs: Ord, Rhodes, Stewart, Simpkins, Bovill.
Attendance: 25
