Dronfield Town claimed the A61 derby bragging rights with a solitary goal victory against fellow Derbyshire side, Clay Cross Town. Arran Bovill’s second goal in as many games was the difference between the teams, coming four minutes before the half time interval. Clay Cross hit the post and had several chances in the first half but an improved display in the second 45 minutes took Dronfield up to eighth place in the Northern Counties East League Division One table. Another local encounter awaits Chris Millington’s side on Saturday when they head just over the border to Swallownest FC.
The remarkable HE Barnes Stadium pitch was once again in fine fettle despite the continuing downpours and the game was one of few that survived the weather. Clay Cross, who still have 14 fixtures to complete before mid-April, began much the brighter.
The third minute saw Reece Clegg stab the ball wide of the target after he had been picked out from the right by Tom Mellor and five minutes later, Gracjan Klimczak struck the foot of the post with a low strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Dronfield retaliated with a 25 yard free kick from Connor Chapell that curled over the crossbar but the hosts had skipper Lewis Naylor to thank for a point-blank stop that prevented the visitors going in front through Callam Lytham.
Town had half chances as the ball ricocheted around the box – Rhodes and Benson unable to find crucial final touches but again had to rely on their stopper, Lewis Naylor, to keep them in the encounter.
The 37th minute saw a defensive mix-up that allowed Mellor clear on the break. The sliding Naylor somehow managed to deflect his shot over the bar as Dronfield were left to breathe again.
Four minutes later, Town took the lead. Regular scorer Max Rhodes turned provider as his ball from the right found Arran Bovill, who coolly side-footed home to give Dronfield a 1-0 advantage.
The second half saw Dronfield step up the tempo but remarkably, there was no change in the score. Just three minutes had elapsed when a delightful Owen Lester through-ball played in Max Rhodes, who saw his on-target shot saved by the legs of Cross’ keeper Ryan Hopkins.
Rhodes’ inventive runs earned a free kick that Hopkins claimed reasonably comfortably and on 65 minutes, his deflected strike hit the crossbar and went out for a corner.
Dronfield by this stage were laying siege to the Clay Cross goal. Chapell’s corner was met by a ferocious volley from Callum Mawbey that the visitors defence somehow managed to prevent from going into the net.
Clay Cross brought on Billy Brooks, Liam Jacobi and Fynn Marshall in a bid to get something from the fixture but despite a pair of baffling yellow cards for Bovill and Lester, Dronfield negotiated their way through 5 minutes of added time to secure another welcome three points.
The win takes Dronfield back to eighth place in the table with seven fixtures left to play. Town’s bid for a top ten finish sees them go to 22nd placed Swallownest on Saturday, the side they defeated by 11-0 back in October.
Dronfield Town: Naylor, Fereday, Riley, Lester, Hatton, Mawbey, Chapell, Bovill, Rhodes, Bebbington, Benson. Subs: Gladwin, Knight, Lindores, Parfitt, Thorpe.
Clay Cross Town: Hopkins, Jules, Riley, Morris, Morgan, Vardy, Lytham, Clegg, Mellor, Klimczak, Johnson. Subs: Marshall, Brooks, Jacobi, Whitehead, Jackson.
Attendance: 116