Full Time: Dinnington Town 2-0 Staveley Miners Welfare Reserves

Dinnington Town bowed out of their home campaign with a solid 2-0 win over Staveley Miners Welfare Reserves, but the full-time whistle was met with a sense of resignation rather than celebration as confirmation came that their title hopes were officially over.

After the heartache of last week’s collapse at Kiveton Miners Welfare, this was a chance for Dinnington Town to respond—and to their credit, they did just that.

From the first whistle, they played with purpose and poise, determined to give the home crowd a final performance to savour.

And within half an hour, it was job done.

Nat Jessop provided the cutting edge, opening the scoring in the 22nd minute. Five minutes later, he was at it again rifling home his second to double Dinnington Town’s lead.

The Blackout13.com Arena found its voice once more as the home fans dared to hope for one final twist in the title race. But even as the goals went in, results elsewhere cast a long shadow over proceedings.

Despite their control and a handful of chances to extend the lead further in the second half, the reality was dawning.

News filtered through from rivals’ fixtures that all but sealed Dinnington Town’s fate. The dream of a final-day shootout was over.

The second half drifted by in a blur of possession and half-chances, with Staveley offering little threat but Dinnington Town rarely hitting top gear again.

But the result was never in doubt, and when the referee called time, the players left the pitch with heads held high, even if the mood was tinged with what might have been.

With one game left to play, Dinnington Town will look to finish the season with pride—but the promotion train has left the station without them.

Dinnington Town are next in action on Saturday 26th April, away to Hatfield Town in the Black Dragon Premier Division North. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.

Photo Credit -Marcus Ackroyd Photography