10-man Parkway concede late on at Salisbury
Salisbury v Parkway | Match ReportParkway travelled to 2nd placed Salisbury who had lost only 1 of their 12 league games having conceded just 9 goals. Looking to extend their 4 match unbeaten run Parkway named an unchanged starting 11 from Saturday’s 1-1 home draw with Basingstoke Town with recent new signing Cameron Sangster named among the substitutes.
 SalisburyPlymouth Parkway 
2 - 1Full Time |
Full Match Report
Images: Dave Harry
The game started in driving rain with the hosts making the brighter start but it was Parkway who created the first chance in the 4th minute. Good link play along the left between Jack Crago, Tom Purrington and Callum Hall saw Crago shoot narrowly wide from a tight angle past a diving Josh Gould in the home goal.
Parkway continued to press and on 6 minutes Aaron McCreadie cleared off the line from a Reece Thomson shot with Oscar Halls heading narrowly over from the resultant corner. Salisbury weathered the early Parkway pressure and on 9 minutes Adam Parkes did well to push away a shot from the lively Jamar Smith. Salisbury could have taken the lead from the penalty spot on 12 minutes. A strong, mazy run from deep by Josh Hedges into the 18 yard area was illegally halted by Halls who was cautioned for his challenge with Sido Jombati’s weak penalty trickling just wide of Parkes right hand post.
Play continued to be evenly contested with both sides playing with intensity and moving the ball at pace. Salisbury looked solid at the back and on 15 minutes a Parkway break along the left with Hall and Crago again linking well forced another corner which was cleared. Thomson then saw his shot from long range comfortably saved by Gould as Parkway continued to create opportunities. Salisbury responded with a chance of their own on 21 minutes with Sam Ashton spectacularly volleying well over from a dangerous cross by Tom Leggett.
Salisbury generally dominated possession but Parkway battled hard, closing down and winning second balls in midfield denying the hosts any real forward momentum or clear chances. On 25 minutes a typically strong run forward from deep by Mikey Williams who, making light of the difficult conditions, linked well with Thomson who released Crago whose shot was blocked and cleared. Salisbury continued their patient build up from the back but too often overhit their final ball with the Parkway defence coping comfortably with the threat.
With Parkway continuing to compete well and generally playing on the counter, on 37 minutes Thomson was sent clear with his shot again being blocked by solid defending from the hosts.
On 38 minutes a controversial incident arguably altered the course of the game. A Salisbury move through midfield was halted around the half way line with Halls being penalised for a debatable deliberate handball.
After a short delay with players from both sides confronting the referee, Halls was shown his 2nd yellow card and dismissed. Seemingly a victim of the new handball laws. Parkway immediately reorganised with midfielder Rio Garside the unfortunate player to be sacrificed with central defender Callum Rose entering the fray. Despite being reduced to 10 men Parkway quickly adjusted with play continuing to be evenly contested and neither side able to breach the others back line.
Salisbury finished the half the stronger with Crago being cautioned for a foul early in the 4 minutes of added time. With the stadium clock showing 49 minutes plus, the hosts took the lead. A cross from right into the danger area by Tom Bragg was pushed away by Parkes with Salisbury recycling the loose ball allowing Dan Pritchett to poke home from close range with half time being signalled immediately after the restart.
A fairly even half with Parkway creating early chances, competing tenaciously throughout, riding their luck with the missed penalty and generally matching their high flying hosts. They will consider themselves unfortunate to be behind at the break.
Despite being a player down, Parkway made a good start to the 2nd half. On 52 minutes a break along the right saw a cross reach Crago whose first time shot was bravely blocked at full tilt by Bragg with the ball flying behind for a corner.
Play continued to be evenly contested switching from end to end with Salisbury creating a period of pressure but Parkway continued to defend solidly with Toby Down and Rose commanding in defence.
On 58 minutes Shane White broke forward with his shot being palmed behind by Gould with the keeper then punching clear a close range header from the resultant corner. Salisbury then created another period of pressure breaking away on the right with Fitchett seeing a shot blocked followed on 65 minutes by Ashton firing an angled drive just wide from around 18 yards.
Parkway continued to work hard from back to front and their efforts were rewarded as they deservedly drew level on 66 minutes.
A throw in from the right was flicked on by Thomson into the danger area with the energetic Hall lashing home a low drive from close range past a diving Gould. Salisbury made their first change on 69 minutes with Charlie Gunson replacing Ashton. The substitute’s first touch was to drill a free kick from around 35 yards narrowly over the bar. With the hosts now forcing the pace Parkway continued to work hard and compete but had another slice of luck on 79 minutes.
A fine save by Parkes from a fierce shot by Noah Coppin saw the ball cleared as far as Hedges around 20 yards out whose follow up shot rattled against the bar somehow dropping into the clutches of a grateful Parkes very close to the goal line.
Parkway made their final changes on 80 minutes with Henry Wilson and Cameron Sangster replacing Hall and Thomson both of whom had worked tirelessly throughout. On 81 minutes Parkway thought they had taken the lead after a corner on the right caused a scramble in the 6 yard box with the ball being forced home only to be disallowed by a tight offside decision.
Salisbury replaced Ryan Penny with Theo Lewis on 83 minutes and with Parkway becoming increasingly stretched the hosts retook the lead on 85 minutes. The impressive Hedges was sent clear along the right and showing good skill cut inside a couple of despairing tackles and slotted home an angled shot from around 10 yards.
Parkway continued to push forward in search of a late equaliser but the hosts continued to hold firm and look to manage the game out with Hedges being replaced by Josh Squires on 89 minutes.
In the 2nd of the 5 added minutes Down made a goal saving tackle at one end with Parkway immediately breaking away and forcing a corner at the other after Ryan Lane and Sangster had linked well to create the opening.
A 2nd corner saw Parkes go forward to boost the numbers in the 18 yard box and with the corner being cleared, Wilson did well to tidy up a long ball around half way to prevent the hosts breaking away towards the unguarded goal. Salisbury mounted one last attack in the 95th minute and once again the redoubtable Down was in the right place at the right with a timely clearance with full time being signalled shortly after.
A pulsating game belying the 17 place gap between the two sides with the hosts probably considering themselves fortunate to take the points and Parkway unfortunate to come away with nothing.
Parkway matched their hosts all the way and despite playing almost an hour with 10 men and occasionally riding their luck, they can be proud of their overall performance. Clinical finishing and a moment of excellence late on from Hedges was arguably the difference between the two sides. Many complimentary comments were heard from some of the more sensible home supporters saying one of if not the best display seen from a visiting side this season.
Those remarks were echoed by the Salisbury manager stating in his immediate post match interview that Parkway were robbed and deserved to win. Unfortunately kind comments don’t win you the game. Once again fine margins between winning and losing.
With Saturday’s visit to bottom club Swindon Supermarine being postponed due to the hosts continued participation in the FA Trophy, Parkway now have a 10 day break. Their next game sees Didcot Town visit Bolitho Park on Saturday 4th November with the visitors currently in 21st place on 6 points before their visit to AFC Totton on Wednesday evening.
Match Info
Salisbury:
1 Gould, 18 Smith, 17 Penny (Lewis 83), 4 Leggett, 5 Jombati, 6 Bragg, 9 Fitchett, 8 McCreadie, 20 Ashton (Gunson 69), 14 Hedges (Squires 89), 11 Coppin
Substitutes:
12 Squires, 13 Osei (gk) (unused), 16 Lewis, 7 Gunson, 19 Roocroft (unused)
Plymouth Parkway:
1 Parkes, 2 White, 3 Lane ©, 4 Hall (Wilson 80), 5 Halls (sent off 38), 6 Down, 7 Williams, 8 Purrington, 9 Thomson (Sangster 80), 10 Garside (Rose 39), 11 Crago
Substitutes: 12 Belsten (unused), 14 Wilson, 15 Rose, 16 Jones (unused) 17 Sangster
Attendance: 621 (14 hardy away souls)
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