Report by North Derbyshire Radio’s David Bell
A much-anticipated return to the Stonelow Stadium proved profitable for Dronfield Town as they defeated Pinxton FC by 3-0 in a very tidy performance. Both sides played their part in a decent footballing exhibition but it was Arran Bovill who got Dronfield off the mark in first half injury time. Callum Mawbey, on as a 16th minute substitute, scored with a header immediately after half time and wrapped up the three points with a strike from his unfamiliar right boot after 53 minutes. The game was the first of eight home fixtures in the next eleven for Town and sees them climb to tenth in the UCL Division One table ahead of the visit of playoff-challenging Stapleford Town to S18 on Saturday.
It was actually visitors Pinxton who started the game brighter. Lively front man Ben Jones crashed the foot of Lewis Naylor’s left hand post from 18 yards out with 8 minutes play gone as an early warning to the hosts.
Dronfield grew into the game thereafter. Max Rhodes’ deflected cross had to be tipped away by Pinxton stopper Warren Squires on 13 minutes but it was Town who suffered a blow moments later.
Consistent left side defender Chris Simpkins suffered an injury and was replaced at the early stage of the game by experienced utility man Callum Mawbey.
Pinxton continued to catch the eye through the lively Sion Green, whose 20 yard effort climbed over the crossbar but it was Town who had the better end to the half.
On 27 minutes, Matty Ord’s long throw fell to Jack Bancroft, whose goalbound shot from the edge of the box was deflected out of play for a corner.
Next, Ord fed Max Rhodes, whose shot was beaten away to his left by the onrushing Squires from 12 yards out.
As the half was coming to a close, Bancroft found himself in plenty of space from a deflection off a Pinxton player but he blazed his attempt wide of the mark.
Two minutes into added time, Dronfield did finally get on the board. Joint leading scorer Arran Bovill carried the ball forward from midfield before striking a well-hit low drive past Squires into the bottom corner to give his side the lead.
Dronfield doubled their lead immediately after the break. A Charlie Stewart free kick from deep was met by a looping Callum Mawbey header that found the back of the net and put the North Derbyshire side into a 2-0 advantage.
Mawbey almost repeated the feat five minutes later from Stewart’s inswinging corner but his header cleared the bar. However, he did make it three momentarily after.
Pinxton failed to clear under repeated Dronfield pressure and as the ball fell to Mawbey, he stroked it home with his unfavoured right boot to make the scoreline 3-0.
Dronfield switched off somewhat with their comfortable lead, allowing Pinxton a brighter spell in the middle of the half. The 68th minute mark saw Dronfield stopper Lewis Naylor called into action, saving low to his left from Pinxton substitute Jay Cooper.
The Dronfield rearguard was called into action once more, deflecting a Sion Green shot from the edge of the box on 77 minutes but it was Dronfield, who ended the contest on a high – Rhodes feeding the excellent Bovill, who forced Squires into another useful stop with his feet.
The win sees Dronfield climb four places in the table to tenth with just two points separating the teams in eighth to fourteenth. Town’s next game is another test at the Stonelow Stadium as Stapleford Town, beaten just twice in the league, are the visitors on Saturday for a 3pm kick off.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Vardy, Simpkins, Stewart, Shelbourne, Gladwin, Ord, Bovill, Rhodes, Bancroft, White. Subs: Fereday, Hatton, Reardon, Appleyard, Mawbey.
Pinxton FC: Squires, Kennedy, Mogford, Hardy, Northmore, Hamilton, Brown, Richards, Jones, Hardwick, Green. Subs: Ford, Tindall, Collings, Cooper, Moore.
Attendance: 91
Image: Michael South Photography
