Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
Dronfield Town finally got their 2026 programme underway with a 1-1 home draw against Sandiacre Town. A series of postponements meant that neither side had played since December 27th and given that both teams started level on points prior to kickoff, it was perhaps no surprise that an even encounter played out. Sandiacre took the lead on 20 minutes through Calrick Dunkley as the Notts outfit had the best of the first half. Dronfield levelled on 56 minutes through Dan Shelbourne with a more dominant second half display to give a share of the spoils. Dronfield now make their longest away day journey to Sleaford Town on Saturday to face a side they have yet to encounter this season.
Sandiacre made a bright start to the contest but it was Dronfield, who got the first shot off in anger; Matty Ord’s left-footed effort going wide of Richard Stainsby’s post.
The visitors replied almost immediately through Harry Goddard, whose strike failed to trouble Lewis Naylor and Sandiacre stopper Stainsby was called into action on the 13 minute mark, gratefully gathering an effort from Arran Bovill.
It was Sandiacre who took the lead on 20 minutes however. Calrick Dunkley pounced on a Dronfield defensive error and kept his composure to fire the ball home from close range to make it 1-0.
The visitors were clearly inspired by taking the lead and continued to push forward in numbers. On the half hour mark, Solomon Godwin made an advance from right back only to see his right footed effort pushed away to the left by Lewis Naylor in the Dronfield goal.
Dronfield ended the half in improved fashion. A neat flick on by Luke Walker found Max Rhodes but nobody was on hand to get a touch to Rhodes’ ball across the area. Walker subsequently headed just wide from a corner shortly after and his rising shot from fully 25 yards proved to be the last action of the period.
Whereas Sandiacre had looked the livelier in the first half, it was Dronfield who went on to dominate the second. Just four minutes had gone by after the restart when a neat intervention from Bovill found Max Rhodes on the right. His resultant cross ended in a strike by Walker being blocked by the Sandiacre defence.
Dronfield did get level on 56 minutes. Matty Ord’s free kick from the left hand side was met by a well-controlled header from the oncoming Dan Shelbourne to make the score 1-1.
As momentum gathered, just two minutes after, Connor Chapell unleashed a 25 yard attempt that just curled wide of Stainsby’s left hand post with the hosts in the ascendancy.
Just past the hour mark, Rhodes’ cross from the right flank just evaded the outstretched boot of the marauding Arran Bovill before Dronfield gave a debut to new signing Ryan Watters from the bench and Sandiacre unveiled their new recruit, Javanne Smith.
Neither were able to make any dent in the scoreline however – Dronfield coming closest when Sandiacre scrambled the ball off the line with two minutes to go with Bovill hitting the sidenetting on the follow-up.
In truth, a point apiece was probably a fair reflection of the encounter especially as the sides had started the game level on points. Dronfield climb to twelfth as a result with Sandiacre remaining in eleventh. Six points separate the sides in ninth to sixteenth and Town visit one of those teams, Sleaford Town, for their next fixture on Saturday.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Reardon, Simpkins, Stewart, Shelbourne, Mawbey, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Walker, Ord. Subs: Bebbington, Watters, Pashley, Gladwin, White.
Sandiacre Town: Stainsby, Godwin, Williams, Wade, Durose, Williamson, Vipond, Hlabangana, Goddard, Spencer, Dunkley. Subs: Watson, Brandon, Moore, Almond, Smith.
Attendance: 72
