Parkway make it third time lucky against Oxford City

Parkway returned to their higher league hosts in the 2nd round of the FA Trophy hoping to reverse their fortunes after being knocked out of the FA Cup by the same opponents just 7 weeks ago having run them so close over 2 ties.

A stoppage time equaliser by Oxford in the first tie forced a replay in which they also equalised in stoppage time going on to win 3-1 after extra time. Parkway made 2 changes from their recent victory over Hayes and Yeading with Toby Down starting in place of Callum Rose and Rio Garside replacing the injured Toby Stephens.

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Full Time
Graham Lloyd

Full Match Report

The game quickly settled into a similar pattern to the FA Cup tie with the hosts dominating the early possession with Parkway set up to contain the hosts and look to play on the counter. On 3 minutes a long ball over the top saw Zac McEachran go clear but fire well over.

On 12 minutes a Parkway break along the right resulted in a deep cross being comfortably cleared by the Oxford defence. On 14 minutes a strong run forward by the impressive McEachran saw his shot bravely blocked by Adam Parkes in the Parkway goal with Ryan Lane superbly blocking the follow up close range strike. From the resultant corner more resolute defending by Down denied the hosts the opening goal.

Oxford continued to dictate the pace of the game with their patient build up play with the Parkway midfield trio of Billy Palfrey, Callum Hall and Garside showing terrific energy and discipline to harry, hassle and frustrate the hosts. On 19 minutes Aaron Williams-Bushell raced clear along the right with his angled drive being blocked with Parkes doing well to save low down from the same player shortly after.

Oxford continued to threaten with little seen of Parkway going forward with Ben Dudzinski in the home goal a virtual spectator. Parkway continued to work hard and compete strongly all over the pitch with the hosts constantly probing an opening and they almost took the lead on 32 minutes with Williams-Bushell seeing his powerful drive crash off the bar and being cleard to safety.

Despite the hosts constant pressure, the Parkway back line of Austen Booth, Down and Mikey Williams along with wing backs Lane and Harrison King remained resilient and composed in dealing with the hosts frequent attacks.

A rare Parkway attack on 40 minutes saw Booth do well to win the ball deep in his own half and release Jack Crago whose crossfield ball found Lane whose cross lacked the quality to trouble the Oxford defence. Approaching half time Parkes was once again called into action making a full length dive to beat away a Josh Ashby free kick from around 30 yards with the final action of the half seeing more cultured play from Booth send Crago clear with Dudzinski alert to the danger and gathering the loose ball.

An effective if not pretty half from Parkway who stuck well to their game plan by maintaining their shape and competing strongly against the hosts who dominated possession throughout creating a few chances but were unable to break down a resilient Parkway.

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Oxford started the second half strongly and on 48 minutes Latrell Humphrey-Ewers saw his fierce drive blocked with the same player being denied shortly after by a good save low down by Parkes.

On 51 minutes Parkway created their first real chance with Crago and the industrious Hall linking well to set up Ben Seymour whose flicked close range effort was well saved by Dudzinski. Parkway continued their period of pressure and on 53 minutes Hall linked well with King whose dangerous cross from the right was cleared behind for a corner from which Dudzinski did well to save low down from a Crago header.

Despite the short period of Parkway pressure it was Oxford who took the lead on 55 minutes. A quick break along the right saw Joe Iaciofano go clear and cut inside to fire across Parkes giving the keeper no chance. Parkway responded well and almost equalised on 59 minutes. A long ball to Seymour, who had ploughed a lone furrow up front, go clear with his powerful on target shot parried away by Dudzinski. Oxford made their first substitution on the hour mark with Jayden Carbon replacing Williams-Bushell.

With the game opening up and Parkway increasing their intensity with the hosts being forced to drop deeper, Dudzinski did well to save a Palfrey shot from distance on 63 minutes. A forceful run by Lane along the left saw his deep cross headed narrowly wide as Parkway began to look the more threatening side. With the silky skills of Williams seeing him make some penetrating runs from his own half deep into opposition territory, Parkway continued in the ascendancy as they looked to create openings.

On 72 minutes good pressure from Parkway on the left saw a snap shot from Garside take a wicked deflection and fly narrowly over the bar with Dudzinski scrambling across his goal to cover the flight of the dipping ball.

Parkway’s increasing pressure saw them deservedly equalise on 74 minutes albeit with the aid of an own goal. A flowing passage of play through midfield between Hall, Williams and Garside saw the ball played wide to the overlapping King whose whipped in cross into the 6 yard area was deflected high into the roof of the net by an under pressure Oxford defender.

Oxford made their second substitution on 77 minutes with Gerald Muchechetere replacing Humphrey-Ewers. Oxford almost regained the lead on 78 minutes after a free kick centrally some 30 yards out by Ashby crashed against the bar, eventually being cleared for a corner which was comfortably gathered by Parkes. Parkway continued to maintain their shape and discipline and continued to push forward putting the home defence under increasing pressure.

On 84 minutes the host’s Charlie Rowan saw yellow after bundling over Crago who had gone clear along the left with Klaidi Lolos replacing Iaciofano shortly after.

Parkway thought they had gone ahead on 88 minutes only to be denied by an offside flag. Another quality cross by King was sliced behind by some desperate Oxford defending with Tom Harrison clearing the ball off the line from the corner with Williams touching the ball home but unfortunately being marginally but correctly given offside. Parkway continued to apply pressure with Hall picking up a late booking and with 4 minutes of added time being indicated, was it to be a penalty shoot out or more late drama?

Oxford briefly threatened with the outstanding McEachran at the heart of most of their attacks but Parkway stayed strong with Rose replacing Crago in the 94th minute with time finally being called in the 97th with no late dramas on this occasion.

The shoot out saw Parkway go first with the normally reliable Seymour seeing his kick saved. Oxford converted their 1st with Palfrey responding with Parkway’s 2nd. Parkes then superbly saved Oxford’s 2nd with Rose hammering home Parkway’s 3rd.

Oxford’s 3rd then went in off the underside of the bar with Garside stroking home Parkway’s 4th. Oxford’s 4th crashed against the bar, ironically taken by Canice Carroll who had scored the dramatic stoppage time equaliser in the first FA Cup tie. Fittingly it was Parkway captain Lane who stepped up to fire home the winning kick to complete a hard earned but ultimately deserved victory.

Not at their most fluent or expansive but Parkway executed their game plan to perfection by containing and frustrating the hosts in the first half and becoming stronger as the game progressed. Credit must be given to the coaching staff for setting the game plan and to the players for their execution of it.

They rode their luck on a couple of occasions but their dogged and determined display with high concentration levels and solid organisation coupled with holding their nerve in the penalty shoot out ultimately won them the game.

The draw for the 3rd round, in which teams from the National League enter, takes place live on TalkSport 2 at around 3.15 on Tuesday afternoon instead of it’s traditional Monday afternoon slot so as not to clash with the England v Iran World Cup game.

Parkway now return to league action with a busy upcoming schedule as they start making up their games in hand with 7th placed and in form Dorchester Town the visitors to Bolitho Park on Tuesday followed by Metropolitan Police next Saturday.

Match Info

 Lineups:

OXFORD CITY:

1 Dudzinski, 4 Ashby, 6 Rowan, 7 Coyle, 8 Fleet (C), 9 Oaciofano (Lolos 85), 10 McEachran, 15 Harrison, 18 Williams-Bushell (Carbon 61), 19 Carroll, 20 Humphrey-Ewers (Muchechetere 77).

Substitutes: 3 Miccio (unused), 5 Burley (unused), 11 Lolos, 12 Carbon, 16 Potter (unused), 17 Fischer (unused), 21 Muchechetere 

PLYMOUTH PARKWAY:

1 Parkes, 2 King, 3 Lane ©, 4 Palfrey, 5 Down, 6 Booth, 7 Williams, 8 Garside, 9 Seymour, 10 Hall, 11 Crago (Rose 90+4)

Substitutes: 12 Goulty (unused), 14 Rooney (unused) 15 Rose

Attendance: 207