Life in the United Counties League couldn’t have begun in better fashion for Dronfield Town as they took all three points with virtually the last action of the game in an entertaining home encounter with visitors Coalville Town.
Dronfield had to call upon skipper Lewis Naylor to make several crucial saves throughout the game as the Leicestershire outfit showed that they were more than adept at this level. However, a Sam Bebbington header deep into added time kept all three points in S18 as Dronfield made a winning start to 2025-26 in front of an appreciative crowd in the July sunshine. A 44 game season sees Chris Millington’s men head to title-favourites Retford FC on Tuesday evening with the action coming thick and fast even at this early stage of the campaign.
Manager Chris Millington had predicted that the UCL was a ‘runners’ league and so it proved in the early stages as Coalville used their pace down the flanks to trouble their hosts.
Town skipper Lewis Naylor palmed away from Coalville’s leading scorer in 24-25, Ronnie Morley on seven minutes and then saved from his strike partner Ant Carney from distance just a minute later, Naylor tipped away another Morley effort from the left channel on seventeen minutes as Dronfield continued to repel Coalville’s attacks but the hosts possibly should have taken the lead ten minutes after Liam O’Brien fed Arran Bovill, who appeared to be clearly impeded, forcing his shot over the crossbar. The referee wasn’t interested in the penalty claim however despite the Dronfield protestations.
Just past the half hour mark, Morley pounced upon Liam Vardy’s missed clearance but lifted his shot over the crossbar as well as the advancing Lewis Naylor.
The entertainment continued as O’Brien dinked a delightful ball to Bovill just before half time but the tall midfielder blasted his shot over the bar and an enterprising first forty five minutes came to an end with Tom Mangan’s free kick catching Naylor unawares as he forced the ball out for a corner.
Despite the absence of a goal, the game was no less enthralling in the second period. The lively Zac Smithson forced another outstanding low save out of Naylor on fifty one minutes after a promising start from Dronfield, which they again demonstrated two minutes later.
Sam Bebbington’s knock down found Liam O’Brien, whose shot went agonisingly across the face of goal rather than hitting the back of the net as it deserved.
Still Coalville took the game to their Derbyshire opponents. The visitors skipper Scott McManus headed narrowly wide from a pinpoint nearside corner and then on seventy two minutes, Lewis Naylor saved with his legs at point blank range from Coalville marksman Ronnie Morley.
Dronfield dug deep for the final fifteen minutes however. Charlie Stewart’s header was cleared off the line, soon to be followed by a Liam O’Brien twenty yard curler that went just wide of the target.
There was still time for Mangan to hit the base of the post for Coalville with five minutes to go but a minute after, the eye-catching O’Brien teed up Bovill whose goal-bound strike was tipped over the bar by Coalville custodian Jake Williams.
All three points came the way of Dronfield with a goal in the last minute of the four added by the officials. A Connor Chapell free kick from wide on the left was sent into the area, where it was met by the stooping header of Sam Bebbington, nestling in the back of the net with Town a goal to the good.
There was barely time to restart the encounter when the whistle blew, sending the home side into raptures.
While three points on opening day were undeniably welcome, Dronfield were fully aware they had been in a tough encounter with a useful Coalville outfit and must expect more of the same when they travel to Retford FC on Tuesday evening – the Notts side having finished as runners-up in UCL Division One last season.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Thorpe J, Stewart, Ord, Shelbourne, Vardy, Chapell, Bovill, Bancroft, Bebbington, O’Brien. Subs: Lindores, Thorpe M, Benaissa, Gladwin, White.
Coalville Town: Williams, Bailey, Bartholomew, Steer, Alcock, McManus, Loomes, Green, Morley, Carney, Smithson. Subs: Smart, Hudson, Mason, Mangan, McNulty.
Attendance: 134
