Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
Dronfield Town bounced back from midweek disappointment to record a solid 2-0 win at home to West Bridgford. An entertaining first half saw Dronfield go in at the break ahead by 1-0 thanks to a debut goal from striker Luke Walker. The Nottingham-based visitors had a useful spell during the opening twenty minutes of the second half but Town weathered the storm to wrap up the game on 76 minutes with a scrambled goal from Dan Shelbourne. The victory takes Chris Millington’s side back to seventh in the United Counties League Division One table ahead of another reasonably local derby, when they head to Shirebrook Town on Tuesday evening.
West Bridgford were competitive from the off and in the opening five minutes it took a vital block from Joe Turner on Josiah Puleston to prevent the visitors getting off the mark.
Dronfield’s best effort of the opening stages came on 22 minutes when Matt Morton expertly brought down a Connor Chapell delivery from the left but skewed his shot wide from 6 yards out.
Bridgford were very much in the contest and just a minute later, Tom Slade’s half volley from the edge of the box went narrowly wide.
The visitors debutant keeper Zac Noon rescued his team with a double save on 27 minutes. Town’s new signing Luke Walker got free but Noon turned his shot away to his right hand side and moments later, the young stopper saved from the same player with his legs.
Dronfield ended the half strongly. The half hour stage saw Matt Morton head over from Arran Bovill’s right wing delivery after a quick throw by Jack Bancroft. Just a minute later, Charlie Stewart’s 20 yard free kick was tipped away to his left by Noon but even he was powerless to stop Town taking the lead on 38 minutes.
A long ball forward by Dan White troubled the West Bridgford goalmouth and the conclusion saw Walker go up with Noon to ensure the ball ended up in the back of the net with the score at 1-0.
The second half was a somewhat more scrappy affair but it was Dronfield’s tenacity that saw them to another three points. West Bridgford lost the useful Ulus Hussein ten minutes after the restart but had their best spell of the game thereafter.
On 62 minutes, Elliot King hooked over the bar from 18 yards out and three minutes after, Tom Slade volleyed over from the same distance.
Dronfield too were enterprising and on 73 minutes, a neat move involving Arran Bovill and Alex Appleyard ended with Noon saving a low Jack Bancroft drive.
Two minutes later, Dronfield skipper Lewis Naylor pulled off a now expected vital save with his legs from the lively Lamin Jassey but Town went straight up the other end through substitute Liam O’Brien, whose strike was deflected narrowly past the post for a corner by the impressive Noon.
The points were wrapped up by the hosts on 78 minutes. It was a rather scrappy affair but a goalmouth scramble from Connor Chapell’s second cross in quick succession saw Dan Shelbourne forcing the ball across the line from inches out to give Dronfield an unassailable 2-0 advantage.
The win gave Dronfield their fourth victory of the season as they climbed one place to seventh in the United Counties Division One table.
They face another near-local derby on Tuesday evening when they head to Shirebrook Town, currently rebuilding in successful fashion under new manager Troy Barnes.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Bancroft, Stewart, Appleyard, Shelbourne, Turner, Chapell, Bovill, Morton, Walker, White. Subs: Thorpe J, Thorpe M, Gladwin, Fereday, O’Brien.
West Bridgford: Noon, Woolley, Morris, Felstead, Shilton, Rowley, Jassey, Slade, King, Hussein, Puleston. Subs: Fatty, Clarke, Cazley-Richards, Morris, Price.
Attendance: 109
