Parkway punished late as Tiverton complete comeback
Parkway v Tiverton Town | Match ReportOn a mild winter afternoon at Bolitho Park, Plymouth Parkway played their final home fixture of 2025 as they welcomed bottom side Tiverton Town for a huge all-Devon clash in the Southern Premier League South.
With both sides desperate for points as they looked to move away from the wrong end of the table, the fixture had all the ingredients on paper for an engaging contest, though for long spells it proved a cautious and scrappy affair before a dramatic finish saw the visitors snatch all three points late on.
 Plymouth ParkwayTiverton Town 
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Images: Thom Lang
Parkway made one change from the side that fell to defeat away at Farnham Town on Tuesday evening, as Callum Hall returned to the starting XI for his 200th appearance in yellow, replacing striker Rocky Neal, who missed out through illness. Taylor Scarff captained the side for the third consecutive game, while Rio Garside returned to the matchday squad but had to settle for a place on the bench.
Tiverton, looking for a result to ignite their season, were led out by former Parkway favourite Toby Down, who anchored the Town defence throughout.
With Neal unavailable, James Watts-Barciela led the line supported by Will Sullivan and Tylor Love-Holmes, and Parkway looked to make early inroads. Just before the five-minute mark, Jenson Seaman found a pocket of space and whipped a cross into the box, but it had too much pace for the stretching Hall.
Minutes later, Parkway again worked it well down the right and Carlo Garside delivered a fine ball into the area, only for Sullivan’s header to flash over the bar.
Tiverton remained composed in the opening stages, building neat patterns without creating too much of note, while Parkway continued to probe with Sullivan central to much of the Yellows’ good work. His neat run into the box brought a sight of goal, but his effort was gathered by former Parkway stopper Matt Wonnacott.
The visitors fashioned their first chance on 28 minutes through Dan Koita, though his effort always drifted wide, before Parkway carved out their clearest opening of the half on 32 minutes. Mikey Williams drove into the box and caused panic, finding Sullivan in space, but a rushed attempt was well saved by Wonnacott.
As the half moved on, Tiverton settled into a compact low block and Parkway found it difficult to raise the tempo, with neither side willing to overcommit. In truth, it wasn’t the highest quality 45 minutes and both managers would have been content to go into the interval with the match goalless.
The second half began with more energy and it was Isaac Finch who was called into action early, denying a well-struck Tor Swann effort from the edge of the box within a minute of the restart. Parkway responded with a promising foray of their own moments later, as Watts-Barciela’s effort was deflected wide.
That early spark threatened to ignite the contest, but the game soon reverted to a cagey affair. Both sides looked to get the ball wide early, but good defending and indifferent decision-making in key moments meant clear-cut chances remained at a premium, and the crowd grew subdued as the two teams struggled to find rhythm.
With the match so tight, set pieces felt likely to be the key, yet both sides were guilty of squandering corners and promising free-kick situations.
Chris McPhee made his first change just after the hour, bringing on on-loan forward Jack Endacott in place of the hard-working Sullivan, and the substitute’s impact was immediate. Parkway built down the left before switching play across to Watts-Barciela, whose deflected effort fell kindly for Hall, and the midfielder produced an instinctive, and slightly fortuitous, finish that angled into the top corner to give Parkway the lead on 65 minutes, marking his milestone appearance in style.
The goal opened the contest up, with Tiverton perhaps feeling aggrieved to be behind after arguably enjoying the better of the second-half exchanges. Parkway then introduced the returning Shane White, with Watts-Barciela withdrawn after a difficult afternoon, while Tiverton began to ask increasingly searching questions.
A key intervention from Scarff proved pivotal as Koita lurked behind him ready to pounce, before Bolitho Park lifted again on 78 minutes as fan favourite Rio Garside returned from injury, replacing the impressive Louie Cayless in midfield.
With Tiverton pushing for an equaliser, a scramble inside the box saw referee Ryan Cornelius point to the spot, and Swann calmly converted from 12 yards to bring the visitors level in the 82nd minute.
The momentum swung firmly Tiverton’s way, and Town had a glorious chance to complete the turnaround when Gabe Billington found himself ten yards out, but his finish lacked conviction and he held his head in his hands as the opportunity passed.
McPhee rolled the dice with further changes, introducing Reece Shanley and Farren Simons, but it would be Parkway’s old issue of giving the ball away in dangerous areas that proved costly. Tiverton pounced on a mistake at the back, Swann created space and finished to the delight of the travelling supporters to complete the comeback and seal a priceless victory for the visitors.
It was a game Parkway looked to have under control once taking the lead, but too many errors and poor decision-making invited pressure, and they were punished late on. Full credit to Tiverton, who kept their composure, rolled the dice and left Bolitho Park with three vital points.
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