Dronfield Town returned to action after a seventeen day hiatus to gain a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Selby Town in the Northern Counties East League Cup Round Three. Town keeper Lewis Naylor was the hero with three penalty saves and a conversion of his own as Chris Millington’s men overcame tough opposition to make the next round.
Selby came into the game in third place in the NCEL Division One table and gradually looked a threat through striker Josh Walker.
The visitors took the lead in the 32nd minute when Luke Sellers left wing cross was met by seventeen goal top-scorer Chris Jackson, who forced a tremendous save out of Lewis Naylor only as far as Walker who made it 1-0.
A concerted spell of pressure from Dronfield saw them on level terms in the 42nd minute. Danny Wood’s 20 yard effort was tipped over by Pete Lawrie in the Selby goal as Dronfield pushed forward in numbers. Ethan Flower stepped up with a free kick from similar range, leaving Lawrie grasping at air as the youngster levelled matters at 1-1.
However, it was Selby who took a 2-1 lead into the interval.
The ever-influential Josh Walker made another burst through the centre, slotting home confidently past an isolated Lewis Naylor.
The game provided further incident on 58 minutes when Selby’s Josh Rogerson received a second yellow card for his challenge on Tawanda Rupere.
The Selby rearguard proved tough to break down and it took until the latter stages of the game for Dronfield to level once more.
A Danny Wood thunderbolt rattled the axis of post and crossbar on 83 minutes as Dronfield looked to make their extra man tell.
When the equaliser did come, it was another youngster who made his mark on the scoresheet. Charlie Stewart’s curling 20 yard effort again left Lawrie sprawling as Dronfield forced the contest into a penalty shootout.
The shootout was all about Dronfield custodian Lewis Naylor. Goal scorer Stewart gave Town a 1-0 lead before Naylor saved Gothard’s effort. Mark Fereday made it 2-0 to Dronfield as Naylor subsequently saved Jackson’s chipped spot kick. Naylor was poacher turned gamekeeper, blasting his penalty past Lawrie to make it 3-0 and finally made an outstanding save low to his left from Flanagan to send Dronfield into raptures and into the next round.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Rawson, Bebbington, Sezerano, Bovill, Hill, Wood, Flower, Rupere, Mawbey, Ord.
Selby Town: Lawrie, Rogerson J, Sellers, Ramsay, Gothard, Holding, Jackson, Rogerson K, Walker J, Walker D, Stewart.
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