Report by North Derbyshire Radio Football Correspondent David Bell
There was penalty shootout drama as Dronfield Town progressed to the first round proper of the Sports Ground Development UCL Cup by beating UCL Premier North side Blackstones FC. Town weathered some intense pressure from their Step 5 opponents to secure a 0-0 draw at the end of ninety minutes. In the ensuing shootout, with the score at 2-2, Dronfield skipper Lewis Naylor saved from Blackstones counterpart Harry Peasgood before stepping up to convert the winning penalty that sent Town into the hat. The win pitches the Derbyshire side against Nuneaton Town in the next round in early October with all eyes now turning back to the league and a visit to unbeaten leaders Retford United on Wednesday evening.
Blackstones higher division pedigree became apparent from the off. Kieran Duffy-Weekes blazed over the bar in the early stages and Callum Davies was allowed too much freedom to get into the Dronfield box but no-one could convert his cross.
Town’s best effort of the half came on 12 minutes. Isaac Reardon did well to feed Luke Walker, who delivered a teasing cross from the left flank. Said Benaissa was on hand with a sidefoot from 6 yards out but ‘Stones stopper Max Peverall just did enough to put him off.
The game became typical Cup tie fayre. A pair of Sam Bebbington long throws caused consternation in the Blackstones area but came to nothing as Town battled and scrapped away to deny the visitors any leeway.
The Stamford-based side had a couple of half chances through Shaun Archer and Duffy-Weekes late in the opening 45 minutes but the sides went in level at the break.
The second half was more open but the outcome was the same. Three minutes after the restart, Callum Davies exploited a lapse in the Dronfield defence but as so often this season, Town skipper Lewis Naylor pulled off another remarkable stop when one-on-one with the Blackstones striker.
A pacy cross just after the hour mark saw Duffy-Weekes sidefoot over the bar as Dronfield at times led a charmed life.
However, following a yellow card challenge by Grunsteins on Jack Bancroft, the striker dusted himself off with a snapshot that was parried by Peverall from 18 yards out.
Dronfield weathered pressure from the Lincolnshire outfit to the end of 90 minutes. Rankin cut inside on 71 minutes to force Naylor into action, saving with his legs and two efforts from the eye-catching Joshua Barrett, one just clearing the far post and another that tested Naylor once again, brought the game to a close with the score at 0-0.
Cup competition rules saw the tie go straight into a penalty shootout. Blackstones’ Edward Thorpe saw his first kick hit both posts before rebounding to safety only to be followed up by a Sam Bebbington strike that went well wide. Lewis Naylor saved Callum Davies’ penalty as Jack Bancroft put Town 1-0 to the good. Joshua Sennett and Dan Shelbourne made the score 2-1 with Kieran Duffy-Weekes levelling matters at 2-2. Dronfield’s Isaac Reardon saw his spot kick saved by Peverall but Lewis Naylor pulled off a good stop from ‘Stones skipper Harry Peasgood. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Naylor stepped up to take the final kick of the game, drilling it home to send Dronfield into the hat with the score at 3-2.
Town will be satisfied and delighted that they had the energy and persistence to go toe to toe with a clearly-talented team from a higher division and secure a win, albeit from the lottery that is a penalty shootout. Similar traits and more will be needed on Wednesday evening as they travel to league leaders Retford United, who are unbeaten and have dropped just two points all season.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Vardy, Bebbington, Hatton, White, Shelbourne, Reardon, Appleyard, Walker, Mawbey, Benaissa. Subs: Pashley, Thorpe M, O’Brien, Bancroft, Thorpe J.
Blackstones: Peverall, Simmons, Rowell, Peasgood, Thorpe, Grunsteins, Miller, Archer, Davies, Duffy-Weekes, Barrett. Subs: Walker, Rankin, Sennett, Barkans.
Attendance: 110
