Parkway Left Frustrated in Hampshire
Basingstoke Town v Parkway | Match ReportPlymouth Parkway added another point to the board after securing a 1-1 draw away to Basingstoke Town.
 Basingstoke Town FCPlymouth Parkway 
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Ryan Brett’s opener had Parkway leading for the majority of the game but despite being down to ten men from the opening 15 minutes, Basingstoke hit back late on through a towering header from Billy Upson.
Unchanged from their home victory against Gloucester City, Parkway started on the front foot and could quite easily have been ahead after three minutes.
James Watts-Barciela worked his way into the box from the right-hand side before cutting in on his left and sending a low deflected effort just wide of Simon Grant’s near post.
The resulting corner was cleared by Basingstoke but fell again to Watts-Barciela on the edge of the area, who rifled a fierce shot back into the mix which was unfortunately straight at Grant.
The early pressure from Parkway had evidently thrown Basingstoke and their slow start was made even worse when Watts-Barciela broke through on goal and was pulled down by Scott Armsworth as the last man, leaving referee Jake Hillier no choice but to brandish the red card.
The freekick, in a promising position and taken by Rio Garside, looped over the Basingstoke wall and forced Grant to tip the effort off of the bottom left post.
The rebound fell kindly to Ryan Brett who timed his follow up run to perfection and smashed home the opener from close range.
After a razor-sharp start from Parkway in the opening 17 minutes, Basingstoke started to find their footing.
A well worked free kick gave Upson the time and space to get a shot away in the area, but a brilliant diving block from Jensen Ireland saved the danger.
Despite the odd spell of possession from the home side, Parkway remained in control of the first half and had several opportunities to widen their lead before half time.
Brett met a good free kick from Carlo Garside but couldn’t muster the power to challenge Grant and Callum Hall found himself in acres of space in the box as he sent his mistimed his volley wide from 8 yards out.
Of Basingstoke’s offence, Robbie Gallagher was the most threatening. A constant thorn in Parkway’s back line.
The number nine progressed aggressively down the left wing, cut in on his right foot and got his shot off, but straight into the hands of Mack Allan
With striker Rocky Neal once again absent due to a hamstring injury, Cruis Nyadzayo led the line strongly for Parkway, and like his opposite number, he was a consistent issue for Basingstoke.
With most of the first half spent holding the ball up and bullying defenders off the ball, Nyadzayo had a flurry of chances just inside the box before half-time, but both opportunities were blocked in quick succession.
The second half started as brightly as the first.
A perfect through ball from Rio played Sullivan into the penalty area but his cut-back across goal was met with sweet nothing and the danger was subsequently cleared.
However, as the half progressed, Basingstoke, knowing their unbeaten start was on the line, grew steadily in confidence.
Joe O’loughlin’s great diagonal ball into the box found Bradley Wilson around the penalty spot but Brett did just enough to put Wilson off as his scuffed effort went out for a goal kick.
Twelve minutes later and only ten from time, Basingstoke dragged themselves level.
Upson leapt the highest and sent a powerful header into the bottom left corner after a great delivery from Connor Bennett.
With the momentum switched, Parkway almost found themselves behind in the 89th minute after a Kevin De Bruyne esque ball from O’Loughlin whipped low across the six-yard box but thankfully exited the box untouched.
Parkway were an outstretched leg away from returning to PL5 with nothing.
The point sees Parkway move up to 17th in the table ahead of Monday’s home fixture with 7th placed Poole Town.
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