Under the lights at the Blackout13.com Arena, Dinnington Town put on a dominant display to secure a comprehensive 6-2 victory over Appleby Frodingham in the Abacus Lighting Floodlit Cup.
The home side were relentless from the outset, building a commanding lead before weathering a second-half resurgence from Appleby Frodingham and sealing their triumph with a late flurry of goals.
From the first whistle, Dinnington Town took control of the match, pressing high and showing attacking intent. The breakthrough came early, with Jed Phillips finding the back of the net just seven minutes in. Phillips made the most of an early opportunity, slipping past the defenders and coolly finishing to give Dinnington the perfect start.
Dinnington Town didn’t let up, and in the 17th minute, Phillips doubled his tally. A swift counter-attack caught the Appleby Frodingham defence off guard, and Phillips was there once again to apply the finishing touch, making it 2-0.
With their confidence building, Dinnington Town continued to press and were rewarded in the 34th minute. Liam Royles added his name to the scoresheet with a well-timed effort to extend Dinnington Town’s lead to 3-0.
The home crowd could sense this was turning into a memorable night for their team.
The first half still had more to offer as Dinnington Town pressed on with intent.
Just five minutes before the break, Phillips completed his hat-trick in the 40th minute, putting his team 4-0 up and further denting Appleby Frodingham’s hopes.
The first half concluded with Dinnington Town firmly in control, heading into the interval with a commanding four-goal advantage.
The second half, however, started with a twist. Appleby Frodingham emerged from the break with renewed determination and managed to pull a goal back almost immediately. Ben Hayward capitalised on a loose ball in the 51st minute, scoring Appleby’s first goal of the evening.
Just three minutes later, in the 54th minute, Joshua Fraewald struck again for the visitors, narrowing the gap to 4-2 and raising the tension in the ground.
Dinnington Town, however, maintained their composure, absorbing the pressure and regaining their rhythm. Tom Bishop restored Dinnington’s cushion in the 69th minute, scoring a fifth goal to make it 5-2.
As the match neared its conclusion, Dinnington Town continued to press forward, and in the 90th minute, Brad Kerr added the final flourish with a well-taken goal to cap off an impressive team performance.
Kerr’s late strike secured a resounding 6-2 victory for Dinnington Town and closed out a memorable night at the Blackout13.com Arena.
Dinnington Town are next in action on Saturday 16th November, at home to Blidworth Welfare in the Black Dragon Premier Division North. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.