Parkway look to turn Bolitho Park into a launchpad ahead of demanding road run
Parkway v Wimborne Town | Match PreviewBy Mike Parrish
Plymouth Parkway return to Bolitho Park on Tuesday evening knowing this midweek meeting with Wimborne Town carries a little extra weight. With a long stretch of away fixtures looming, it feels like the last chance, at least for a while, to turn recent resilience into the kind of home points that shape a season.
Parkway’s consistency has been quietly impressive. One defeat in the last 11 outings has kept them moving in the right direction, and the togetherness shown in recent weeks has become a feature rather than a one-off. There’s been a stubbornness about the Yellows that makes them hard to beat, even when the game turns into a scrap.
Wimborne, though, arrive as one of the Premier South’s most efficient outfits. Fifth in the table after 16 games, they’ve paired a tidy defensive record with enough quality at the other end to stay in the play-off conversation. Their 14 goals conceded is joint-best in the division, and they’ve not tasted league defeat since a 1-0 trip to Walton on October 11.
Yet there’s a clear away-day edge to this story. Wimborne’s road games have been tight, tactical affairs, only six conceded in eight away matches, the best travelling defence in the league, but just seven scored in the same spell. It suggests Tuesday may be decided by small moments: a set-piece, a second-ball, or a referring decision.
Those moments mattered in the reverse fixture in September, and Parkway don’t need reminding how that one slipped away. Having led 2-1 late on, they were stung by a contentious handball decision and a red card before conceding twice in the closing stages to lose 3-2. There was plenty to admire in Parkway’s performance that day, but also a clear lesson in game management that has fed into their more hardened recent run.
The head-to-head offers another quiet encouragement for the hosts. In three meetings between the sides, the home team has always come out on top, and Parkway’s only previous Bolitho clash with Wimborne ended in a 2-1 victory. It’s not the kind of trend that wins matches on its own, but it does reiterate the importance of using home turf well.
Parkway’s squad came through Saturday’s Sholing contest without major new concerns, though there are a couple of late calls. Rocky Neal and Mikey Williams will be assessed again before final selection, while Jake Smith awaits a scan to determine the extent of his injury. Taylor Scarff is set to feature, but will then miss Saturday’s trip to Chertsey after reaching the yellow-card threshold, another reason this fixture feels like a key step before the travelling begins.
Wimborne’s threats are clear and varied. Will Fletcher remains their academy-grown reference point up front, already on seven goals this term after finishing last season with 17. Joe Smith has found ways to score off the bench as well as from the start, eight league goals despite only eight starts tells its own story about his efficiency. Behind them, the experience of Josh McQuoid adds guile and calm in midfield, with a decorated EFL career bringing real know-how to key moments.
For Parkway, the task is a familiar one: stay compact, stay brave, and trust that the work they’ve been putting in without the ball will earn them chances with it. Their recent form suggests they have the patience and discipline to do exactly that, and under the Bolitho Park lights they will fancy their ability to tilt a close game their way.
A midweek crowd at Bolitho Park often brings its own energy, and with both sides carrying good form, this has the feel of a proper Premier South examination. Parkway have shown they can stand up to those tests recently, now the challenge is to turn that spirit into a result before the road calls.
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