Parkway Left to Wonder ‘What If?’ After Second-Half Push
Chertsey Town vs Parkway | Match ReportAfter the frustration of Tuesday’s cancellation, Parkway began their long road run buoyed by the return of Tylor Love-Holmes from Truro City. But as football so often reminds you, good news rarely travels alone. Full-back Jenson Ireland, who has started brightly at Bolitho Park, is now sidelined after suffering a burst appendix, while Mikey Williams failed a late fitness test and Taylor Scarff was absent through suspension.
That left a first full start for Milimo Nalumango as Parkway headed to Surrey in search of a first away league win for far too long. And after a stop-start journey through motorway traffic, they arrived to a full tour of the elements: rain, sun and wind , all that was missing was snow.
 Chertsey TownPlymouth Parkway 
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With Parkway switching sides at kick-off and the Curfews’ booming announcer echoing round Alwyns Lane, it soon became clear that Ryan Brett would fill in at left-back, allowing Nalumango and Veale to pair centrally.
Chertsey, fresh from losing Jake Mazzone in midweek, started sharply. Gary Abisogun made early inroads from midfield and almost forced the opener when a fifth-minute corner caused familiar havoc in the Parkway area, only for Carlo Garside’s clever header to clear.
It was a big afternoon for Nalumango on his first start and the youngster began well, looking a commanding presence among the back four. Love-Holmes then offered a glimpse of what he can bring, bursting into the box and cutting back for Rio Garside, who couldn’t get enough on the contact.
But the Curfews soon settled into a strong spell. Abisogun continued to pull strings and Mack Allan was the busier keeper throughout the opening 20 minutes. Parkway looked vulnerable again with a tinkered back line still searching for consistency. Brett’s influence in the middle was clearly missed, and from full-back he began to look an isolated figure as Chertsey worked intelligent central patterns and repeatedly asked questions of the away defence.
Watts-Barciela and Love-Holmes were left feeding on scraps for long periods, while the hosts really should have been at least two goals up during that dominant opening stretch. Frustration began creeping into Parkway’s play, not helped by captain Rio Garside picking up another needless yellow for a late challenge, a booking that incensed the home crowd and left him walking a tightrope.
Parkway continued to go long but the ball was quickly recycled back at them, and the assault on Allan’s goal remained frequent. For all Chertsey’s neat one-touch build-up, though, a killer touch in front of goal was missing. They created chances repeatedly, only to squander them time and again.
The clearest opening arrived in the 38th minute when Chertsey’s right-side overload finally produced a dangerous ball across the face, but Dan Berry couldn’t direct his diving header goalwards.
With the contest still goalless, Parkway were always in it, and a fine surge from Carlo Garside finally earned the visitors their first meaningful look, a free-kick on the edge of the area that he struck cleanly, only for Luke Roberts to parry away.
A late Parkway surge before the break saw both Watts-Barciela and Love-Holmes have efforts blocked, offering a flicker of encouragement at the end of a tough first 45.
Parkway made one change at the break as Rocky Neal replaced the hard-working Carlo Garside. Will Sullivan, isolated in the first half, moved out to the left as Hall drifted inside. But the pattern remained the same, and Allan was called into action almost immediately, producing a highlight-reel save after Oliver McCoy let fly from distance.
For a long time it felt like only a matter of time before Chertsey would strike, and after Parkway had worked hard to stem the tide, they were again undone from a corner. The ball was recycled back into the area and Dan Berry’s effort, helped by a deflection, wrong-footed Allan and nestled into the bottom right.
Parkway now needed to impose themselves for the first time in the game before it ran away from them. But after so long on the back foot, the Yellows struggled to transition to the front foot. The travelling fans pinned their hopes on Rocky to find a route back in, and the striker almost obliged on 57 minutes, his diving header sailing over.
Moments later there was another opening as Watts-Barciela cut back for Rocky, whose shot struck a Chertsey body with calls for handball waved away.
McPhee then shuffled again, pushing Sullivan to left-back and moving Brett into midfield in search of more control. Parkway did enjoy the ball more, but Chertsey responded with a ferocious press led by the impressive McCoy.
The Parkway boss rolled the dice again on 67 minutes as Gunner Franke entered the fray to partner Rocky up top. And with the extra body higher, the game finally began to tilt.
Watts-Barciela started to find pockets of space, beat his man and delivered a delicious cross for Rio Garside, whose instinctive effort smashed against the post. The place held its breath, and Parkway had their moment.
At the other end, Allan produced another outstanding stop on the counter to keep Parkway in it, before Rocky fired into the side-netting that briefly had the away end celebrating. The home fans mocked, the away fans groaned, and the sense grew that Parkway had left this swing too late.
A non-league flashpoint and a red card for a member of the Chertsey management briefly halted the flow in the final ten minutes, but once play resumed Parkway remained on the front foot. With Franke and Neal together, and the shape braver and more balanced, Parkway posed a real threat in front of the 416 in attendance. The Curfews still looked dangerous on the break, yet Parkway finally played their best football of the afternoon as the clock ran down.
But with time against them, panic and wrong decisions in vital moments prevented a late equaliser. And the thought of what might have been had Parkway found this platform earlier will haunt supporters on the long journey home.
There were positives in the late response and another big showing from Allan, but Parkway now need to regroup quickly as the away-day run continues through a demanding December, and the search for that elusive league win on the road goes on.
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