An eight goal thriller ensued at the HE Barnes Stadium on Tuesday evening with home side Dronfield Town triumphing by 6-2 over Appleby Frodingham. Dronfield threatened to run amok in a scintillating opening half hour, racing into a 3-0 lead through a Max Rhodes brace and a close range effort from Arran Bovill. Appleby pulled one back through Jack Tierney and got a second 2 minutes before half time thanks to Joel Chapman either side of Town’s Billy Wright making it 4-1. The second half was no less entertaining but it took injury time strikes from James Lindores and Sam Bebbington to wrap up the sizeable victory. The win sees Dronfield climb to tenth in the NCEL Division One table ahead of a weekend visit to eighth placed Armthorpe Welfare.
Dronfield dominated the opening exchanges and it only took 7 minutes before they got off the mark. In a great, flowing passing move, it was Arran Bovill who fed Max Rhodes, whose low shot nestled in the back of the net to make it 1-0.
A further two minutes elapsed before Rhodes doubled his tally for the evening. He cut inside and struck from the edge of the box – the ball rattling the post before curling back into the goal for the young striker’s 8th of the campaign.
Rhodes could have wrapped up a hat-trick inside 17 minutes. This time it was midfielder Matt Thorpe who fed the hitman but his left footed attempt came back off the angle of post and crossbar.
A breathtaking half hour of quality passing football saw Dronfield get their third of the night. This time Rhodes turned provider allowing Arran Bovill to poke home from close range at 3-0.
Despite their dominance, Dronfield allowed Appleby a route back into the game twice before the half was out. Joel Chapman’s free kick from the edge of the area was headed home rather meekly by Jack Tierney on 32 minutes to raise the visitors hopes.
Town made it 4-1 on 40 minutes. A Sam Bebbington shot was cleared off the Appleby line but only as far as Billy Wright, who stabbed home from close range to restore the 3 goal gap.
That gap only lasted three minutes however as Appleby made it 4-2 before the interval. A cross in from the left was headed in unchallenged by Joel Chapman to set up a potentially nervous second half for Dronfield.
That second half began no less dramatically. Bovill played in Rhodes, who saw Appleby stopper David Birch stand firm to make a solid save as the ball went immediately up the other end - the visitors striking the post from distance.
Dronfield really should have claimed a fifth on 61 minutes when Ryan Short’s backpass was intercepted by James Lindores. The forward shot with the outside of his boot but Birch came to the Scunthorpe side’s rescue once more.
Frodingham never let their tempo drop and it was the busy Chapman who saw his twenty yarder go narrowly wide on 69 minutes.
The incident came thick and fast with Appleby clearing off the line once more – Matt Thorpe being the unfortunate Dronfield player this time, although the young midfielder barely put a foot wrong all evening in an excellent display.
Birch saved from Rhodes on 79 minutes after a pinpoint Riley Noble crossfield ball but just as it seemed that the half would end goal-less, Dronfield conjured up two more in added time.
Two minutes in, a long ball forward was well controlled by James Lindores, who slotted home to make it 5-2.
Then, with four added minutes elapsed, substitute Regan Rooke put Sam Bebbington in the clear, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net to wrap up the points at 6-2.
The performance was in stark contrast to Saturday’s FA Vase exit and the possession and groundwork from Dronfield was a joy to behold. More of the same is required when the Derbyshire side head up to Armthorpe Welfare in the league on Saturday afternoon.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Riley, Stewart, Thorpe, Wright, Noble, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Lindores, Bebbington. Subs: Appleyard, Rooke, Knight, Lester, Gladwin.
Appleby Frodingham: Birch, Neary, Short, Graham, Tierney, East, Hazell, Stenhouse, McCarthy, Chapman, Bonser. Subs: Horacio, Moloney, Phillips, Blackburn, Kirk.
Attendance: 84
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