Parkway, with 4 key players unavailable, travelled to Southern League Division 1 (step 4) Melksham Town for their 6^thand final pre-season friendly played at an extremely impressive ground and set up for this level. The game got off to an explosive start with the hosts taking the lead after just 40 secs. A break down the left breached the Parkway backline with a cross being turned in at the near post from close range.

Parkway almost drew level on 3 minutes when after a neat passage of one touch play along the left, the ball dropped to Ryan Richards who turned sharply on the edge of the 18 yard area only to see his snap shot hit the post and be cleared to safety. With Melksham looking strong, physical and direct, they doubled their lead on 8 minutes with their second attack. More good play along the left saw a deep cross find their player whose close range shot richocheted off the chest of the unfortunate Michael Landricombe and into the net. Melksham continued to look the more dangerous with Parkway working hard to get back into the game but unable to gain too much momentum or create any clear chances.

Play became compressed in a competitive midfield with both sides guilty of playing too many long balls which were comfortably dealt with by both defences. Parkway started to look to play through their midfield and bring their wide players into the game more with the hosts becoming predictable and playing balls into the channels. On 26 minutes a neat Parkway move down the left ended with a shot from around 20 yards by Billy Palfrey being comfortably saved. With Parkway beginning to gain some midfield control they pulled a goal back on 29 minutes. Ryan Lane made a strong run along the left and after a neat one two slid the ball inside to River Allen who finished coolly, drilling a low shot into the corner from around 20 yards.

With Allen, Palfrey and Steve Colwell becoming more influential in midfield using their long and short range passing to good effect, Richards working hard up front and Callum Hall and Harrison Davis making inroads along the flanks, Parkway began to look the more fluent side. A forceful run from midfield by Palfrey on 33 minutes saw his shot fly just over before shortly afterwards Parkway deservedly drawing level.

More good link up midfield play saw Palfrey in an advanced area and his well directed and perfectly paced pass found Hall in space on the right. Hall cleverly came inside his marker and placed his angled shot across the keeper into the bottom corner from around 15 yards.

Hall almost repeated his efforts on 37 minutes with this time his shot being blocked at close range. Melksham continued to look to be more direct with the Parkway defence holding firm and Kyle Moore rarely being tested. The final action of the half on 43 minutes saw a Melksham shot from distance fly harmlessly over. After a shocking and sluggish start, Parkway gradually regained their composure, improved their ball retention, became more dominant in midfield and deservedly went into the break all square.

Melksham started the second half strongly and on 47 minutes only a superbly timed tackle by Landricombe in the 18 yard area prevented an effort on target. On 49 minutes a well placed ball from Allen in behind the home defence found Hall breaking clear on the right only to be penalised for a marginal handball. Play continued to switch from end to end at a high tempo but with few chances being created and both defences generally on top.

Around the hour mark both sides began to ring the changes with the hosts making a substitution and Jordan Bentley replacing Isaac Burdon in the Parkway defence. Melksham then had a period of pressure forcing a couple of corners which came to nothing with Landricombe and the quietly impressive James Ward winning their headers and making timely interceptions and tackles. The hard working, lively Richards was replaced by A Trialist on 64 minutes as Parkway continued to press forward winning a series of free kicks in dangerous areas one of which was curled just wide by Allen on 67 minutes.

The hosts made 2 further substitutions on 70 minutes and briefly had 12 players on the pitch. This was vociferously brought to the attention of the referee by a couple of the eagle eyed Parkway faithful! Nice try! A Melksham corner on 74 minutes saw them almost retake the lead with a close range looping header bouncing off the top off the bar and go behind. Parkway made their final change on 76 minutes with Baros replacing Davis.

Parkway continued to threaten with play being broken up by a series of niggling fouls with a Melksham defender picking up the first and only yellow card of the game after a cynical challenge on Trialist which denied him breaking clear.

On 79 minutes yet another free kick conceded just outside the 18 yard area resulted in Parkway breaking the deadlock and taking the lead. Allen’s kick initially hit the defensive wall but he reacted quickest to the rebound and calmly place a low shot into the corner through a crowded 18 yard box. Melksham now threw more men forward creating pressure and on 83 minutes a 25 yard free kick was superbly pushed away by Moore at full stretch. With Parkway now defending in numbers and Melksham leaving spaces at the back, a Parkway break on 88 minutes saw a strong run by Trialist saw the ball pulled back for Hall whose close range effort was stabbed behind for a corner.

Melksham continued to apply pressure with a shot being well saved by Moore on 89 minutes and a further effort being deflected behind for another corner in stoppage time. Strong defending saw Parkway hang on for a hard earned but ultimately deserved victory that didn’t look possible after 10 minutes.

After a mixed pre-season, today’s highly entertaining and competitive friendly saw Parkway back to somewhere near their best but still a work in progress. After another sloppy start, they showed determination, resolve and strength of character to regroup and force their way back into the game against strong, physical, higher league opponents. The day was rounded off perfectly with the news that the popular, inspirational and on the day absent Rob Farkins, was otherwise engaged having become a father for a second time earlier in the day! With pre-season planning and preparations now complete and many lessons no doubt learnt, the season proper starts on Tuesday with near neighbours Saltash United the visitors to Bolitho Park in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup with a 7.45 kick off. The game will be played in front of a sell out crowd of 300 spectators, the maximum number currently permitted under Government/FA guidelines. Hold tight!