A last minute strike at Selby Town saw Dronfield Town go down to their ninth single goal defeat of the season from the twenty fixtures they have played so far. The Derbyshire side fought back after going one down on fifteen minutes through Selby’s leading scorer Harry Clapham. Town equalised on seventy minutes through their own leading marksman Max Rhodes but had their hearts broken once again on the stroke of full time as Selby substitute Troy Greening forced the ball home to keep the points in North Yorkshire. Again there was much to commend in the Dronfield performance but they now find themselves in seventeenth place in the Northern Counties East League Division One table ahead of a big game against sixteenth-placed Shelley next weekend.
The first half wasn’t much of a spectacle as both side scrapped it out. Dronfield pumped three useful balls into the Selby box early in the encounter that came to nothing and on 12 minutes, skipper for the day Sam Bebbington shot on the angle but steered his effort wide of Selby stopper Liam Wilson’s far post.
The hosts took the lead on 15 minutes. The goal felt very regulation as a ball in from the left flank was met by a sliding Harry Clapham, who forced it past Nick Siddons in the Dronfield goal from close range to make it 1-0.
The game entered a rather scrappy period and the frustrations from the Dronfield bench were clear as they ironically commended a completed pass on the half hour mark.
Town did at least step up their efforts for the last quarter of an hour of the half and almost got back on terms when Matty Ord’s delivery from the right just evaded an oncoming Max Rhodes in the six yards box.
Dronfield continued their improvement in the early stages of the second half. Two useful through balls came to nothing but a third saw Max Rhodes make a burst down the left channel, his shot being deflected out for a corner.
Selby revived for the next ten minutes. Siddons claimed from Samuel Calvert’s 18 yard snap shot and on 67 minutes, Dan Davison broke through the Dronfield defence but put his shot wide of the mark.
The increased quality of Dronfield’s second half display got them back on level terms in the 70th minute. A delightful through ball from Town youngster Matt Thorpe put Max Rhodes in the clear and he finished in trademark fashion from around the penalty spot to make it 1-1.
The two teams went back and forth for the final fifteen minutes as Selby chose to run their bench. It was the last of those substitutes who got the winning goal for the North Yorkshire side on the stroke of full time.
Selby launched the ball forward, finding Troy Greening who forced the ball home from a tight angle to claim all three points for the hosts.
There didn’t really appear to be nine places between the two sides but again a lapse in concentration cost Dronfield dearly. There were undoubtedly promising elements to the Town display but they need to get back to winning ways as the relegation zone looms ever closer.
The side immediately above them, Shelley FC, are the visitors to the HE Barnes Stadium next Saturday in a game that already looks like a six pointer.
Selby Town: Wilson, McGrath, Love, Marsh, Gothard, Bull, Davison, Danby, Clapham, Calvert, Wade. Subs: Dry, Charlton, Racher, Greening, Dawes.
Dronfield Town: Siddons, Riley, Stewart, Thorpe, Gladwin, Hobson, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Bebbington, Ord. Subs: Noble, Fereday, Lindores, Hatton, Flower.
Attendance: 224
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