The proverbial game of two halves played out for Dronfield Town as five unanswered second half goals saw hosts Horbury Town claim an important three points in their push up the Northern Counties East League Division One table. Dronfield looked good value for holding the third placed side goalless at the interval but forty five minutes of madness saw the Derbyshire team returning home empty handed and somewhat bewildered. Dronfield get the opportunity to bounce back in midweek with a visit to Ollerton Town, themselves defeated by 8-1 at Campion on a goal-laden Saturday afternoon.
Horbury’s Kieron Ceesay shot over from 12 yards out inside the first minute, confirming that the West Yorkshire outfit have gained their current third place through an emphasis on attack.
Dronfield were more than a match for their opponents in the first half however. Sam Bebbington didn’t quite connect with a long range shot on 13 minutes that went wide of the post and 4 minutes later, the Dronfield striker sent another effort curling wide in the stiff breeze from 18 yards out.
Dronfield had to replace Ethan Flower with Joe Pearson on 23 minutes due to the young midfielder suffering a back injury but felt no ill effects from the change.
Indeed, despite Horbury’s attacking momentum, Dronfield continued to have the better chances. Callum Mawbey grazed the bar with a curling left foot shot from the left hand side after a useful cross from Callum Riley and a minute later, the same player had a strike from the edge of the area saved by Elliot Lightowler in the Horbury goal.
Hopes that Dronfield would push on in the second half were soon dissipated as on 49 minutes Horbury took the lead. A free kick from the right was met by centre back James Smith and although it wasn’t the cleanest hit, the ball still nestled in the Dronfield goal with Horbury one to the good.
Dronfield had a couple of chances to get back on level terms. Pearson’s 20 yard strike from a short free kick skipped just wide and on 62 minutes, James Lindores’ excellent right wing cross was headed over by Mawbey with the goal at his mercy.
However it was Horbury who claimed their second on 66 minutes. James Cusworth steered the ball home to make it 2-0 and the floodgates began to open.
Dronfield gave a debut to new signing Noah Flint from the bench but Horbury made it three on 78 minutes. Cusworth broke free in a three on three situation down the right hand side and his cross was stabbed home on the volley by the onrushing Abdou Bojang from close range.
Three became four on 81 minutes. Samuel Kyeremeh was allowed to carry the ball forward and with a spin in the area, poked the ball home to make it 4-0.
A crazy second half was concluded three minutes into stoppage time. Dronfield failed to clear their lines, allowing Cusworth to slot home for his second of the contest and make it an afternoon to forget for the men from S18.
Despite the defeat, Dronfield only fall one position in the table to ninth and have an opportunity to get back on track on Wednesday evening. They travel to sixteenth placed Ollerton Town, themselves somewhat shellshocked having conceded eight against league leaders, Campion.
Horbury Town: Lightowler, Ellis, Playford, Smith, Leight, Sidibe, Awty, Kyeremeh, Cusworth, Ceesay, Agu. Subs: G Bojang, A Bojang, Penn, Stephens, Wilson.
Dronfield Town: Siddons, Riley, Wright, Rooke, Hill, Bovill, Chapell, Flower, Bebbington, Lindores, Mawbey. Subs: Knight, Ord, Terry, Flint, Pearson.
Attendance: 152
Photo: Mike Payne
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