There was huge disappointment for Dronfield Town as they went down by 2-1 in their foot of the table clash against bottom side Appleby Frodingham. Dronfield actually made the brighter start, taking a 21st-minute lead through Arran Bovill. However, they conceded just before half time through Josh Fraiwald and went behind on the hour when Henry Curtis converted for Appleby. The remainder of the game saw Dronfield huff and puff but produce little of note that would get them back into the contest. Appleby climb off the foot of the table as a result and Dronfield remain in 19th place. Another crucial clash awaits Town when they travel to 16th placed Club Thorne Colliery on Saturday.
Dronfield started brightly given the magnitude of the encounter in the scheme of league placings. The six minute mark saw teenage striker Dan Wing fire straight at Appleby stopper Jordan Quibell from 12 yards out when a yard either side might have paid dividends.
Appleby’s best opportunity of the opening exchanges saw pacy wide man Josh Fraiwald striking the foot of the post as the home side caught Dronfield on the break.
It was Dronfield who took the lead however. A useful Charlie Stewart inswinging corner was headed home by the returning Arran Bovill, who looked slightly bemused that his intervention had given the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Dronfield continued to dominate. Another testing delivery from the left by Stewart saw Max Rhodes sting Quibell’s hands from 9 yards out and the Appleby keeper fumbled a cross under pressure from Bovill minutes later but the referee was unhappy with what appeared to be an innocuous challenge.
On 39 minutes, Matty Ord put Max Rhodes in the clear but having lifted the ball over Quibell, the striker’s effort also just cleared the crossbar too.
As so often this season, Dronfield conceded at the worst possible moment. Appleby bundled their way through the Town defence and Fraiwald had the easy task of slotting past Lewis Naylor to make it 1-1 just before the break.
Dronfield withdrew Wing just after half time for Matt Thorpe and pushed Sam Bebbington into a strikers role but it was Appleby who got the goal that gave them a very valuable three points.
On 58 minutes a long punt forward fell nicely to Henry Curtis, who had the measure of the Dronfield rearguard, finishing low past Naylor to make it 2-1 in the home side’s favour.
The remaining half hour brought little to suggest that Town would get back into the game. Indeed on 66 minutes, a jinking run by Appleby’s Alghamdi resulted in his shot rising just over the crossbar of Naylor’s goal.
Dronfield’s position in the league standings doesn’t change as a result but if there was previously any doubt, they are most definitely in a battle against the drop to Step 7. Another huge game awaits them on Saturday when they head to Club Thorne Colliery, just three places and four points ahead of Chris Millington’s side in the ‘mini-league’ at the wrong end of the table.
Appleby Frodingham: Quibell, Chapman, Neary, Bonser, Kirk, East, Fraiwald, Anani, Ugenio, Alghamdi, Curtis. Subs: Jacobi, Comerford, Jarman, Blackburn, Short.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Riley, Stewart, Bebbington, Gladwin, Wright, Appleyard, Bovill, Rhodes, Wing, Ord. Subs: Thorpe M, Siddons, Hatton, Flower, Thorpe J.
Attendance: 60
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