£5 well spent as Parkway edge Bees in county cup
Parkway v Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police | Match ReportOn a cold night at Bolitho Park, entry set at £5 and the trees swaying overhead, Plymouth Parkway’s young side did enough to progress in the Devon St Luke’s Bowl… but only just.
 Plymouth ParkwayStoke Gabriel & Torbay Police 
4 - 3Full Time |
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Carlo Garside wore the armband and led by example as Parkway started fast. Inside four minutes, Jake Smith drove low across the box and Farren Simons arrived at the back post to finish. The early spell was sharp, full of intent, with Garside dictating the pace from deep.
Chances followed. Castlehouse rattled the bar, Garside hit the post, and visiting keeper Jim Weeks made a couple of decent stops to keep the Bees in touch. The game drifted briefly and Parkway paid for it. Jesse Howes missed a clear chance before Saul Veins levelled on 22 minutes, turning in from close range after loose defending.
That woke Parkway up. On 32 minutes, Castlehouse finished a tidy move, and a minute later he was at it again. Barciela found him at the back post, the first effort was saved, and he nodded in the rebound. A two-goal cushion at the break felt about right.
McPhee made one change for the second half, Rio Garside replacing Taylor Scarff and Smith slotting into defence. Stoke came out sharper. Will Hughes made it 3–2 from six yards and, for a spell, the visitors had the better of it. Tackles flew in, with Barciela the target of a few late ones before Morgan Harford saw yellow.
Castlehouse might have sealed his hat-trick but prodded wide from three yards to laughter from the crowd. Parkway kept the ball but Stoke stayed stubborn, breaking when they could through the lively Spurwell.
As the game stretched, Will Sullivan struck cleanly from 15 yards for his first Parkway goal, restoring daylight. Two minutes later, Reece Somers cut the gap again with a tidy finish from the edge of the box.
Youth player Leo Orford was given the final ten minutes, a first taste of senior football after a strong spell in the academy, as Parkway saw it out.
A decent run-out, some good minutes for the younger players, and progress into the next round. At £5 on the gate, it felt like fair value. Parkway turn next to the FA Trophy and the visit of Poole Town on Saturday.
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