Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s Senior Football Correspondent – David Bell
Dronfield Town suffered a narrow defeat in a game they dominated for long periods away at Club Thorne Colliery. An eighth minute Ben Stobart goal gave the hosts a lead that they would keep for the remainder of the contest despite Dronfield creating plenty of chances that either saw the woodwork or Thorne’s keeper Jacob Rabone making interventions. Dronfield now go a fortnight without a game due to the quirks of the fixture scheduling but return with a very important home clash against fellow strugglers Yorkshire Amateur.
Dronfield, forced to change into a borrowed yellow strip at the last moment by the match referee, didn’t make the start that was required.
Only 8 minutes has elapsed when a Thorne free kick was curled into the box. Lewis Naylor made an initial save from Dominic Mellor but the follow up was stabbed home at close range by Ben Stobart to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Despite the early defensive lapse, Dronfield put up a decent display for the rest of the game but couldn’t find a leveller. On 15 minutes Sam Bebbington, pressed into duties as a striker for the day, held the ball up well to feed Arran Bovill, whose shot curled wide of the post from 18 yards out.
Just four minutes later, a run from half way by leading scorer Max Rhodes showed the Thorne defence a clean pair of heels but sadly his shot went wide of the mark.
The half hour mark saw a Charlie Stewart free kick from fully 25 yards out spilled by Jacob Rabone in the Coll’s goal but Connor Chapell was unable to force home on the rebound.
Chances were few and far between for the hosts; Jordan Buckham’s overhead kick that went comfortably wide of the target being the only one of note as the half wore on.
Bebbington headed at Rabone from a teasing Matty Ord corner over on the far side of the pitch as the first 45 minutes came to an end.
Dronfield also made a bright start to the second half. Two minutes after the resumption, Chapell’s free kick into the hosts box was met by the outstretched boot of Bovill but the ball trickled just inches wide of the Thorne net.
On the hour, another dangerous Chapell set-piece saw Rabone save from Billy Wright at close quarters before the ball was once again deflected out of play.
Dronfield’s best chance of the game came on 67 minutes. An excellent move saw Bebbington win a tough header in the direction of Bovill. He squared for Rhodes, who was in the open but uncharacteristically he failed to hit the target.
Both sides picked up yellow cards in what seemed to be a series of petty decisions as Dronfield’s last throw of the dice saw them throw on Jake Hatton to add an aerial threat up front.
Immediately, Thorne hit the bar through substitute Reiss Harrison when a foul appeared to be committed on a Dronfield player. In the protestations, Sam Bebbington was sin-binned for the remainder of the contest.
Despite being down to 10 men, Dronfield almost had the last say when a Charlie Stewart header hit the woodwork from another testing corner as the Thorne goal led a charmed life.
The hosts negotiated the four minutes of added time to take the three points that saw them climb two places to 14th in the NCEL Division One table.
Dronfield remain precariously in 19th, three points ahead of 20th-placed Louth Town, despite a performance that suggested that they are more than capable of escaping relegation trouble. The Derbyshire side are now without a fixture until February 15th when bottom club Yorkshire Amateur are the visitors to the HE Barnes Stadium
Club Thorne Colliery: Rabone, Stobart, Mellor, Green, Varley, McLoughlin, Buckham, Brown, Baskerville, Simpson, Harrison E. Subs: Boot, Dorgan, Oliver, Harrison R, Walker.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Thorpe J, Riley, Stewart, Gladwin, Wright, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Bebbington, Ord. Subs: Thorpe M, Appleyard, Wing, Flower, Hatton.
Attendance: 82
