Town started the game brightly, creating two good opportunities to score in the opening four minutes.

First Mark Fairburn was foiled by Dronfield keeper Siddons and then moments later Mark Wood miss-kicked after finding himself with space in the Dronfield area.

Despite their shaky start, Dronfield improved as the half progressed. Although little was seen of them as an attacking force, they were well organised at the back and midfield and battled to make things difficult for the home side.

Siddons distinguished himself with a flying save to punch away a Ben Davison header and was again in the thick of it when he saved a Jamie Rowbotham shot with his legs.

Sam Smith and then Mike Armstrong hit good efforts marginally off target and as half-time approached it looked as though it would be scoreless when Sam Smith popped up with a goal to break the deadlock.

Good work by Mark Fairburn and a lucky break on the edge of the box meant Smith was able to control the ball before clipping it beyond Siddons with the outside of his right foot.

Town almost extended their lead on the stroke of half time when Mark Hallam met a left wing cross from Jamie Rowbotham but directed his header wide.

Dronfield came out for the second half with a more progressive approach and created two early openings which Duran and Gibbons fired off target.

Much more was being seen of the visitors as an attacking force but Town's three central defenders, Ben Davison, Danny Stevens and Andy Appleby stood firm.

Town were always a threat on the break and substitute Danny Kilmore brought a good save from Siddons before Jamie Rowbotham had what looked like a perfectly good goal disallowed by the linesman who adjudged him to have come back from an off-side position before swivelling and drilling the ball past Siddons.

Town's disappointment did not last long however as they doubled their lead with 17 minutes left to play.

Mark Hallam's driven free kick from the right was headed spectacularly into his own net by George Colley.
If Town thought their second goal would bring an end to Dronfield's resistance then they were wrong as the visitors mounted a series of dangerous raids.

Craig Wherry was called upon to make two excellent saves to deny first Gibbons with his fingers tips and then by diving to smother Tilly's low shot.

With the game switching from end to end, Sam Smith reacted smartly to pounce on a loose ball and spotting Sibbons off his line lobbed over the keeper but unluckily just over the crossbar.

With the game entering added time Mintoft grabbed a deserved consolation goal for Dronfield after the Town defence failed to clear their lines but it was not enough to effect the result meaning Town progress to the third round of the competition where a home tie against Yorkshire Main awaits them.

The match was sponsored by Hydro Aluminium and the match ball was sponsored by The Newmarket Inn, Louth.

Team: Wherry, Wood, Appleby, Stevens, Davison, Martin, Armstrong, Smith, Fairburn, Hallam, Rowbotham. Subs: Kilmore, Archer, Leafe.

* Town return to league action on Saturday when Grantham Rangers are the visitors to Park Avenue, kick-off 3pm.