Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s Football Correspondent David Bell
It was back to earth with a bump for Dronfield Town as they came out on the wrong side of a 7-1 humbling at the hands of league leaders Retford United. Two goals in the opening eight minutes for prolific Retford striker Lewis Chambers saw the hosts go in at 2-1 by the break; Sam Bebbington with Town’s reply. The North Notts outfit ran amok after the interval as Chambers recorded yet another hat-trick with Tootle, Devereux, Warner and Carty completing the rout and the Badgers looking every inch Champions-elect. Dronfield have a week to brood on the scoreline before returning to action next Wednesday, again on the road at Clipstone.
It took only three minutes for the hosts to get off the mark. Chambers did look suspiciously offside but there was nothing untoward about the finish as he cut inside on to his left boot and curled a quality finish into the top corner to put Retford one up.
His second came after eight minutes. Again there was a question mark over potential offside but Chambers got into the clear, slipping the ball low past Lewis Naylor to make it 2-0.
The two early blows didn’t allow Dronfield to settle as they had difficulty making the ball stick in the final third of the pitch.
Retford continued to press through Matthew Tootle, who had Naylor wrong-footed with his shot, which mercifully took a deflection out of play.
Town did have a better finish to the half. Some good work down the left flank by Max Hatton saw his cross find Sam Bebbington and in a challenge with a Retford defender, the ball ended up in the back of the net to make it 2-1.
Kane skied over for the hosts six minutes before the break but Dronfield could have levelled matters on the stroke of half time. Dan Shelbourne’s shot from a far side corner almost deflected past Darren Smith in the Retford goal off the knee of Bebbington but it was the men from Cannon Park who took a goal advantage into the interval.
The second half was an entirely different affair. It took only one minute after the resumption for Chambers to complete his hat-trick. He used his clear strength and ability to battle through and slide the ball past Naylor with the scoreline at 3-1.
Chambers turned provider for Retford’s fourth. His cross from the right hand side found Tootle who stabbed home from close range to make it 4-1.
It only took a further four minutes for the scoreline to become 5-1. This time it was Joe Lumley who burst down the left, pulling the ball back for Josh Devereux to sidefoot home with the game well and truly out of reach.
Dronfield made a quadruple substitution but as Retford too ran their bench, including the withdrawal of the impressive Chambers, the game was over as a contest.
The Badgers weren’t finished there however. The 75th minute saw Carlton Carty wriggle down the left, squaring for substitute Jack Warner to make it 6-1.
Three minutes later, Warner returned the favour for Carty, crossing from the right for the pacy wide man to make it seven.
The combination of an off-the-boil Dronfield side and some superlative football from Retford wasn’t a good one for the men from S18 and they must now wait a week before the opportunity to make amends when they head to Clipstone for more midweek football under lights.
Retford United: Smith, Tootle, Egginton, Lumley, Williamson, Hart, Carty, Kane, Chambers, Buckthorp, Devereux. Subs: Goodwin, Orange, Warner, Dawes, Phillipson.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Vardy, Simpkins, Reardon, White, Shelbourne, Hatton, Stewart, Bancroft, Walker, Bebbington. Subs: Appleyard, Benaissa, Mawbey, Gladwin, Chapell.
Attendance: 183
