Bottoms Up for Parkway
Bracknell Town v Parkway | Match PreviewBy Mike Parrish
Plymouth Parkway return to league action this weekend following an enforced spell on the sidelines, with successive postponements interrupting what had begun to feel like a shift in direction.
Heavy rain in Devon has ruled out recent home fixtures against Wimborne Town and Farnham Town, leaving Chris McPhee’s squad short of minutes but keen to get back playing. Saturday’s trip to Bottom Meadow offers that chance, and with it an opportunity to build on the encouraging signs shown before the break.
That progress came at Uxbridge, where Parkway produced a committed and disciplined display to claim a 2–1 victory and bring a four-game league losing run to an end. Goals from James Watts-Barciela and Gunnar Franke were matched by a collective willingness to compete, defend, and see the game through, qualities that have been demanded throughout the season.
The pause in the schedule has allowed several players to edge closer to full fitness. Club captain Shane White made a timely return in West London and will have benefited from the additional recovery time, as will Rocky Neal as he continues his return to regular involvement. Tylor Love-Holmes, whose loan spell from Truro City has been disrupted by injury, is another who may be closer to full fitness.
There has been change between the posts once more, with Zak Baker recalled by Plymouth Argyle after an impressive outing at Honeycroft. Luke McCormick is expected to be part of the travelling group, as Parkway continue to adapt to the goalkeeping challenges that have shaped much of the campaign so far.
Bracknell Town arrive into the fixture in stronger form than when the sides met earlier in the season. Parkway edged the October meeting at Bolitho Park courtesy of Ryan Brett’s second-half header, but a subsequent change of manager has helped the Robins find consistency. Now 13th in the table, Bracknell have secured eight wins from their last 12 league games, including a clinical 1-0 victory at Havant & Waterlooville on Wednesday, and will look to maintain that upward trajectory this weekend.
Parkway, though, will take confidence from recent visits to Bottom Meadow. Last season’s 3-1 win here formed part of a run that ultimately secured Southern Premier League safety, and it serves as a reminder of how important a run of wins can be in this division.
With the table tightly packed and fixtures beginning to stack up, Saturday represents a chance to reconnect with league action and carry forward that winning feeling earned at Uxbridge. Parkway head to Berkshire eager to play, eager to compete, and determined to turn encouraging signs into something more concrete.
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