Parkway return to Plymouth with a point

Winchester City vs Parkway | Match Report

For the visit to Winchester City Parkway named an unchanged starting 11 from last Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Dorchester Town with the returning Joe Belsten replacing Alex Cairo on the bench the only personnel change.

1 - 1
Full Time
Graham Lloyd

Full Match Report

The hosts started brightly winning a free kick around 30 yards out in the 3rd minute with Adam Parkes doing well to tip over Ik Hill’s effort. Winchester continued to force the early pace winning a couple of corners with Jordan Rose heading just wide on 6 minutes.

Trevor Caborn and Josh McCormick began to link well along the right with Parkway working hard in defence to combat the threat. On 9 minutes Caborn made a mazy run along the right before cutting inside only to see his shot well blocked.

Parkway continued to defend well and with Winchester dominating the midfield exchanges, Parkway were being forced to play on the counter but gradually getting to the pace of the game. They forced their first corner on 13 minute which was cleared with the hosts breaking away and Tommy Wright firing over from distance.

Arguably against the run of play and with their first penetrating attack Parkway took the lead on 17 minutes. A superb interception and strong, jinking forward from the back along the left by Mikey Williams saw him release Reece Thomson whose low driven cross into the 18 yard area resulted in a handball with the penalty confidently converted by Shane White.

Winchester continued to dominate possession with Parkway working hard to break up attacks and defending well with the hosts unable to turn their increasing pressure into clear chances.

On 21 minutes a Winchester free kick 25 yards out was comfortably defended with Oscar Halls and Toby Down looking composed and comfortable in the centre of defence winning the majority of the aerial duels.

On 22 minutes a neat exchange between Jack Crago and Thomson saw Crago break clear but lacked the necessary composure with his final ball failing to reach the supporting, unmarked Callum Hall.

Caborn and McCormick continued to threaten along the right along with a series of long throws by Pat Nolan also a danger but Parkway continued to defend well with Parkes rarely tested. Parkway continued to battle well in midfield with Hall, Henry Wilson and Tom Purrington working hard as Parkway forced a corner from a counter attack on 34 minutes which was comfortably cleared.

On 35 minutes Down became the first player to be cautioned for a foul as Winchester continued to press in possession but were still unable to create too much in the final third mainly due to Parkway’s determined and composed defending.

Winchester almost drew level on 39 minutes when a long raking cross cum shot from the left by Dan King bounced on top of the angle of crossbar and far post and was hacked away to safety. With the game continuing to be played with intensity, Winchester continued to look to create openings with Parkway entering the 2 minutes of added time absorbing pressure and continuing to defend without further alarms.

A highly competitive half with Winchester having the majority of possession and looking the more threatening but unable to create too many clear chances and Parkway content to absorb pressure, defend solidly in numbers and play on the break.

Attendance
0

Winchester drew level almost straight from the kick off on 46 minutes. A robust 50/50 challenge around halfway saw both sides claiming a free kick with the referee waving play on and the ball cleared deep into the Parkway half.

A moment of hesitancy and miscommunication between Halls and Parkes allowed Tommy Wright to latch on to the loose ball between the two, round Parkes and steer the ball home into the empty net. Winchester continued in the ascendancy with Wright and Jamie Barron both having shots blocked forcing corners with the hosts having loud appeals for a handball in the penalty area on 52 minutes waved away.

Winchester made their first change on 56 minutes with Simba Mlambo replacing Warren Bentley and they almost took the lead on 57 minutes. A whipped in cross by Ik Hill was met by Caborn and superbly saved at point blank range by Parkes.

Rio Garside then replaced Hall on the hour as the game began to become a more even affair switching from end to end and beginning to open up. On 63 minutes smart link up play between Williams and Purrington set up Thomson whose snapshot was deflected for corner from which Halls headed narrowly over. Parkway began to look the more threatening and on 65 minutes a long ball along the right reached Crago who linked well with Garside setting up Purrington whose shot was blocked and cleared.

The game continued at a high tempo and with intensity with the hosts Ollie Griggs seeing yellow for a late challenge in midfield on 66 minute with Ollie Balmer replacing Hill for the hosts shortly after.

On 70 minutes Parkway created a good opportunity with Thomson battling well to win the ball wide on the right and releasing Garside whose low cross from the byeline was gathered low down by Cairney with Crago waiting to pounce. With the game remaining highly competitive, McCormick became the next player cautioned for a shove on Williams halting his forward run as Parkway increased the pressure going forward. On 73 minutes Matt Wright replaced Crago with Parkway continuing to play 2 up front and not seemingly not content to settle for the draw.

Play continued to fluctuate with few chances created with Parkway replacing Thomson with Dylan Jones for the last 10 minutes.

On 82 minutes Winchester almost took the lead for the first time with Tommy Wright being put clear only to see his powerful angled drive superbly saved by Parkes. In a frantic last few minutes plus the 6 added, both sides continued to attack looking for a winner and not content to settle for a point with the best chance falling to Winchester with Caborn, now operating on the left, firing narrowly wide in the 92nd minute.

Parkway responded only to be caught narrowly offside from a promising attack with the final action seeing Cairney punch clear through a crowd of bodies from a Parkway free kick. The final few minutes also saw a flurry of yellow cards for the hosts with Rose, Nolan and the Winchester manager all being cautioned for a variety of offences.

An entertaining, full blooded, keenly contested affair as has become the normal between the 2 sides with Winchester the more dominant in the first half but with Parkway displaying the defensive side of their game to good effect.

The second half was a more even affair with clear cut chances few and far between with Parkway being disappointed in the manner in which they conceded the goal but pleased with their overall performance from back to front to earn a hard fought but well deserved point with the draw probably a fair result. The point sees Parkway remain in the bottom 4 but climbing a place to 19th on 8 points.

Parkway now return to Hampshire on Saturday as they enter this season’s FA Trophy at the 3rd round qualifying stage with a visit to AFC Totton who currently lie 8th in the table on 16 points. It was noted the AFC manager and staff were interested onlookers tonight.

Match Info

Line-ups:

Winchester

1 Cairney, 2 McCormick, 3 King, 4 Griggs, 5 J Rose, 6 Nolan, 7 Caborn, 8 Barron ©, 9 T Wright, 10 Bentley (Mlambo 56), 11 Hill (Balmer 67)

Substitutes:

12 Willcox (unused), 14 Lynch (unused), 15 Smith (unused), 16 Balmer, 17 Mlambo

Parkway

1 Parkes, 2 White, 3 Lane ©, 4 Wilson, 5 Halls, 6 Down, 7 Williams, 8 Purrington, 9 Thomson (Jones 80), 10 Hall (Garside 60), 11 Crago (Wright 73)

Substitutes:

12 Garside, 14 Belsten (unused), 15 C Rose (unused), 16 Jones, 17 M Wright

Attendance: 207 (9 away).

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