Parkway turn attention back to league duty with Evesham visit
Parkway v Evesham United | Match PreviewBy Mike Parrish
After the drama, and ultimately the delight of last weekend’s penalty shoot-out FA Trophy victory over Poole Town, Parkway now return to league action at Bolitho Park looking to build further momentum and stretch their mini unbeaten run.
Goalkeeper Mack Allan’s heroics in the shoot-out ensured Parkway progressed in the Trophy and set up another home fixture in the second round, maintaining the feel-good factor that has instilled belief through the squad in recent weeks.
Now attention turns back to the Southern League Premier South, where the Yellows have quietly pieced together an encouraging spell on home soil. Five unbeaten in all competitions at the Theatre of Trees, Parkway’s last defeat at Bolitho came back on 30 August, that awful 4-0 loss to Frome Town in the FA Cup, finally feeling a distant memory. The last league fixture on home soil, a lively 2-1 win over Taunton, was arguably the most important of the run.
There will be a late fitness test for defender Taylor Scarff, who continues to nurse a foot injury sustained early last weekend, along with striker Rocky Neal, who is still not 100% after limping off late in the 1-1 draw away at Hungerford Town. Club captain Shane White remains sidelined, but otherwise manager Chris McPhee expects to have a full quota to choose from as Parkway aim to continue their climb up the table.
Saturday’s opponents make the long trip from Worcestershire sitting eighth in the table after thirteen games. A tidy start to life back at Step 3 following promotion last season. The Robins have already shown they can do damage at this level, not least in their 5-0 rout over Tiverton Town earlier in the campaign and an FA Cup run that featured a 95th-minute Richards equaliser to rescue a 3-3 draw against Racing Club Warwick before winning the replay 1-0.
Their most recent outing ended in defeat. A narrow 2-1 loss to Uxbridge, while away form has been mixed: six games on the road have brought two wins, two draws and two defeats. Last time away, Evesham led late before conceding twice in the final ten minutes to lose 3-1 at Berkhamsted, a feeling Parkway know all too well from their own travels.
The sides last met in Parkway’s title-winning 2021/22 campaign in Division One South. Evesham took the honours at home that October with a comfortable 3-1 win, but Parkway gained revenge the following April, in the midst of a memorable fourteen-game unbeaten run, running out 2-0 winners at Bolitho with the much-loved Ethan Mitchell netting twice to edge closer to the title.
The Robins’ frontline carries plenty of threat. Levi Steele and Andre Wright have both struck eight times in all competitions this season, with Steele netting a double in that Tiverton rout and Wright bringing Football League experience from his time at Yeovil Town. Supporting them, Ethan Dunbar has chipped in with three goals, often proving lively from the bench. None of the trio have scored in their last two outings, but Parkway will know the danger they pose if given space in and around the area.
For Parkway, confidence is high as they look to make Bolitho a fortress once again. This fixture also begins a run of three straight home games, with visits of Uxbridge in the league next weekend and National League South side Salisbury heading to Bolitho on Saturday 15 November. With home advantage and the Yellow Army behind them, McPhee could view this mini home sequence as a very important phase of the season.
Evesham will no doubt arrive eager to prove themselves against one of the division’s in-form home sides, but with the Theatre of Trees in full voice, Parkway will back themselves to deliver once more in front of their loyal supporters.
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