The margins were slender but unfortunately Dronfield Town suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Harrogate Railway Athletic on Tuesday evening. The visitors broke the deadlock in the 41st minute through Harris Eggleston and wrapped up their victory three minutes into added time at the end of the game with substitute Dyllan Drovi scoring on the break. Both sides contributed to an end-to-end encounter with Dronfield being left to rue hitting the woodwork twice inside the opening quarter of an hour as well as having the ball cleared off the line. Neither side move from their respective 19th and 12th positions as a result of the fixture but Dronfield remain out of the bottom three only by virtue of goal difference ahead of a trip to leaders Horbury Town on Saturday.
The game was a lively affair from the off and to Dronfield’s credit, they seized the early initiative. It only took 6 minutes to see skipper Sam Bebbington have his header cleared off the goal line with Arran Bovill’s shot skimming off the top of the crossbar on the follow-up.
Harris Eggleston gave an early warning of his talents when he raced down the right flank and his teasing cross was cut out by the Dronfield defence with a sliding Desmond Okoro ready to pounce.
Dronfield found the woodwork once again on 13 minutes. Joe Pearson’s shot was turned on to the bar by Max Rhodes as a trademark set-piece almost bore fruit once more.
The game was a back and forth affair and just five minutes later, Harry Atkinson’s header looked goalbound until Dronfield stopper Jake Balme pulled off a Gordon Banks-esque spectacular save to keep the scoreline level.
The Rail ended the half the stronger. A fast break by Sam Clothier down the left ended with Balme tipping the ball out for a corner to his right and a only a further five minutes elapsed before Harrogate took the lead.
The ball was switched from the left out to the right hand side where the lively Eggleston received the ball in plenty of space. He rifled the ball past Balme from just inside the area to make it 1-0 four minutes before the interval.
The solitary goal remained the only thing separating the sides at the start of the second half too. After an even first ten minutes, a neat through ball by Connor Chapell worked Joe Pearson into a good position close on goal but Rail keeper Jamie Hassall and his defence were quick to repel the attack.
Possibly Dronfield’s best opportunity of the half came on 70 minutes when Arran Bovill flicked on Sam Bebbington’s long throw from the right hand side. The ball fell to Pearson but he skied his shot over the Harrogate bar.
Harrogate also continued to contribute to an entertaining encounter. Dronfield’s Callum Riley blocked Sam Clothier’s strike from the edge of the box on the line and from the resulting corner, Clothier placed his shot over the bar when he probably should have hit the target.
Into the last ten minutes, Rail substitute Lucas Umpleby placed his shot straight at Balme from 18 yards out as Dronfield continued to pump balls into the Harrogate box.
The North Yorkshire side wrapped up the win with a second goal three minutes into added time. Another Dronfield ball into the area was mopped up by the visitors, who got out on the break through pacy substitute Dyllan Drovi. He slotted the ball past Balme to seal the 2-0 victory.
As has happened on several occasions this season, a competitive Dronfield display resulted in no reward. Town are now 5 points adrift of Louth in 18th and look to be battling it out with Yorkshire Amateur, Appleby Frodingham and Nostell Miners Welfare to escape the dreaded bottom three places. The first of the eight remaining games sees the North Derbyshire side head to leaders Horbury Town on Saturday.
Dronfield Town: Balme, Thorpe J, Stewart, Lester, Bovill, Riley, Chapell, Thorpe M, Rhodes, Bebbington, Pearson. Subs: Appleyard, Siddons, Lindores, Wing, Hatton.
Harrogate Railway: Hassall, Navier, Darvill, Lynn, Atkinson, Mutch, Eggleston, Drake, Ingham, Clothier, Okoro. Subs: Attakorah, Umpleby, Lockwood, Drovi.
Attendance: 106
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