Parkway Produce Fine away display in London

Hayes & Yeading V Plymouth Parkway| Match Report

Written by Graham Lloyd

In a rearranged fixture and looking to extend their unbeaten league run to 8 games, Parkway made the long midweek journey to 20th placed Hayes and Yeading. 4 changes were made from Saturday’s 6-2 win over Hungerford Town. Matt Wright, Cameron Sangster, Callum Rose, and Dylan Jones, returning from his loan to AFC Tavistock, started in place of Reece Thomson, Rio Garside, Toby Down and Jack Crago respectively.

Playing against a strong, swirling wind and light rain Parkway were quickly into their stride and took the lead in the 3rd minute. A long ball through the middle held up in the wind and Jones, making an immediate impact on his return, showed good strength and control to hold off the last defender and fire home from just inside the 18-yard area. Parkway continued to play at a high tempo and on 8 minutes a break along the left saw Sangster link with Tom Purrington who’s cross into the danger area was cleared to safety.

On 11 minutes, Parkway conceded possession in midfield allowing Tobias Braney to go clear only to fire wide from around 20 yards for the host’s first chance. Parkway continued to dictate the pace of play moving the ball with pace and precision and on 13 minutes Alex Cairo and Shane White linked well along the right with White firing just over from around 20 yards.

Patient in possession, Parkway continued to control the midfield area and on 20 minutes another cross from the right was well gathered under pressure by Jacob Adams in the home goal. The hosts were offering little threat with their final ball lacking quality but on 22 minutes a break forward forced Adam Parkes to rush from his line and just beat the oncoming attacker to the ball low down on the edge of the 18-yard area. Parkway continued to dominate possession with Callum Hall, Sangster and Purrington looking comfortable on the ball in midfield with their short and long-range passing looking to create openings.

On 25 minutes a swift passage of play along the left with Sangster, Hall and Ryan Lane linking well saw the latter cross whipped into the 18-yard area with Jones’ deft touch from around 10 yards being well saved by Adams.

The hosts continued to work hard but were unable to penetrate the Parkway defence and on 27 minutes they won a free kick wide on the right 40 yards, but the delivery lacked quality allowing Parkes an easy claim. Parkway continued to apply pressure using both flanks to good effect with Jones and Wright winning their fair share of possession in central areas and on 29 minutes they doubled their lead.

0 - 2
Full Time

A ball into the 18-yard area saw a coming together between Jones and a Hayes & Yeading defender and after a moment of hesitation by the referee, a penalty was awarded with White confidently converting the spot kick. On 33 minutes the hosts almost pulled a goal back. Confusion in the Parkway backline allowed Ayo Faniyan to fire the loose ball against the post with Parkes superbly blocking the rebound and conceding a corner which was poorly delivered, and the danger averted. Parkway regained their composure and control with Hall and Jones linking to create an opportunity on 36 minutes which was cleared followed by Wright and Jones also linking with the host’s defence managing to clear. 

Approaching the break Hall became the first player to be cautioned after a foul in midfield as Parkway continued to play with intensity and on 44 minutes he fired well over after more flowing approach play. The final action of the half saw Jones race clear along the right and shoot narrowly wide from a tight angle around 18 yards out with other players in support. 

A generally dominant half from Parkway creating the better chances with the hosts working hard to stay in the game but unable to penetrate the Parkway defence who apart from the one scare looked solid and composed throughout. 

Parkway made a double change at half time with Garside replacing Mikey Williams who had been subjected to a heavy challenge towards the end of the first half with Down replacing Lane. Hayes & Yeading also made a double change with Michael Fernandes and Steve Ngunga replacing Cole Brown and Braney respectively. 

Now playing with the strong wind at their backs, Parkway created an early chance on 50 minutes with Garside shooting straight at Adams when he maybe could have done better. Parkway continued in the ascendancy but with the pace of the game dropping in intensity, they looked to retain possession and contain the hosts.

Play became compressed in midfield with neither side creating too much in the final third with Garside wastefully firing a free kick from around 35 yards way over on 56 minutes. Hayes & Yeading then enjoyed a period of possession with Ngunga seeing plenty of the ball wide on the right, but his final ball generally lacked direction with the Parkway defence remaining solid and compact. Play gradually became more scrappy with both sides competing well but with few chances being created. The hosts made their final change on 65 minutes with Ronan Silva replacing Ferdinand Okoh.

The hosts continued to press with the Parkway midfield working hard closing down and now playing more on the counter. On 68 minutes Garside saw his shot well saved from a dangerous cross delivered from the left by Jones. Adams then did well to push behind an effort from Jones from around 20 yards after good work by Purrington.

Play continued to be fragmented with Parkway playing within themselves and not forcing the pace and remaining content to contain the hosts who were reduced to 10 men on 72 minutes. A strong challenge by Lewis Kinsella on Purrington in front of the dugouts resulted in a straight red card with the Hayes & Yeading manager seeing yellow after the ensuing fracas had subsided. On 75 minutes the hosts forced a rare corner after good work by Ngunga which was easily dealt with. Play then quickly switched to the opposite end with Wright driving a low shot just wide. 

On 80 minutes Crago replaced Jones who had put in an impressive, hardworking display on his return which should aid his development and he will have learnt from the experience. On 81 minutes Faniyan broke clear on the left and cut inside with his final touch letting him down enabling Parkes to smother the loose ball just inside the 18-yard area.

With Parkway looking to see the game out and slow things down, the hosts arguably had their best spell of the game with a superb save by Parkes on 87 minutes denying Silva followed by Ngunga forcing a corner on the right which was easily cleared. Silva and Sangster where then cautioned as the game petered out in added time with Parkway running out comfortable winners with the added bonus of a clean sheet.

A convincing first half display from Parkway against willing but limited opponents with the second half not reaching any great heights with Parkway generally controlling the pace of the game, dominating possession, and comfortably defending the occasional threat from the hosts. The win sees Parkway extend their unbeaten league run to 8 games and climb 2 places to 14th, now 6 points clear of the bottom 4 still with many games in hand.

The busy schedule continues with a visit on Saturday to 18th placed Dorchester Town who are 5 points behind followed by entertaining 17th placed Beaconsfield Town at Bolitho Park next Tuesday. They will be looking to maintain their current momentum hoping to take points of teams below them and continue their climb up the table.

 Line-ups:

Hayes & Yeading

1 Adams, 2 Brown (Fernandes 46), 3 Kinsella (red card 72), 5 Ekpiteta ©, 7 Braney (Ngunga 46), 10 Gambin, 11 Okoh ((Silva 65), 12 Faniyan, 14 Field, 15 Salmon, 18 Dunne

Substitutes:

6 Wiltshire (unused), 16 Silva, 17 Nasha (unused), 19 Ngunga, 20 Fernandes

Plymouth Parkway

1 Parkes, 2 Cairo, 3 Lane © (Down 46), 4 Purrington, 5 White, 6 Rose, 7 Williams (Garside 46), 8 Sangster, 9 Wright, 10 Hall, 11 Jones (Crago 80)

Substitutes:

12 Garside, 14 Crago 14, 15 Down,16 Thomson (unused)

Attendance: 

184 (6 away + 1 former RN colleague of the reporter who lives locally = 7)    

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