Parkway drop back into the relegation zone with defeat at Loop Meadow

Plymouth Parkway v ARgyle | Match Report

Parkway travelled to already relegated Didcot Town looking for a win which would ease their own relegation concerns. 3 changes were made from Thursday’s defeat to Salisbury with Tom Purrington, Jack Crago and Dylan Jones replacing Callum Rose, Jack Bray-Evans and the unavailable Oscar Halls.

3 - 2
Full Time
Graham Lloyd

Full Match Report

Dave Crawford

Parkway got off to a blistering start establishing a 2 goal lead by the 7th minute. In the 2nd minute a short corner routine on the left saw a deep cross to the far post headed back into the 6 yard area by Toby Down with Reece Thomson finishing from close range after a touch by Crago.

The lead was doubled on 7 minutes when good play switching from right to left released Jones who cut inside and fired an angled drive across keeper Leigh Bedwell into the far bottom corner. Parkway continued in the ascendancy with Mikey Williams picking up an early booking for a foul on the lively Robbie Gallagher who had impressed during the recent reverse fixture at Bolitho Park.

Another flowing passage of play from Parkway on 16 minutes saw Thomson link with Jones whose mishit snapshot was pushed away by Bedwell.

Didcot gradually began to get into the game and on 18 minutes a long through ball directed towards Gallagher was well defended by Callum Hall. Williams then did well to intercept a cross from Jack Alexander by heading back to Adam Parkes. Parkway’s next attack on 22 minutes gave them the opportunity to increase the lead.

Crago was upended in the penalty area by Ben Putland with an apparent on field decision taken for Cameron Sangster to take the kick instead of normal taker Shane White.

Bedwell guessed correctly diving to his right to push the ball away with Alex Cairo unable to pounce on the rebound. Despite the penalty miss Parkway continued to threaten and on 28 minutes a Parkway free kick fizzed across the 6 yard area with Bedwell getting a vital touch to a glancing Parkway header to concede a corner.

On 30 minutes Crago was cautioned for a foul on Jack Alexander who was also cautioned for retaliation with the hosts clawing a goal back shortly after. Parkway conceded possession too easily in midfield allowing Gallagher to surge forward on a penetrating run and go beyond the Parkway backline and finish coolly past Parkes from around 15 yards. Parkway responded well and almost restored their 2 goal advantage on 35 minutes.

Cairo and Thomson combined well with Thomson’s close range header from Cairo’s cross saved at point blank range by Bedwell with Jones prodding the loose ball narrowly wide.

Play began to become more open switching from end to end and on 37 minutes Crago went clear on the left with Didcot doing well to clear the cross. Didcot then broke with a long ball into the right hand channel aimed for Gallagher who was well tracked by Cairo who conceded a corner. Luke Carnell headed the corner forward to find the unmarked Gallagher who hooked home past Parkes from close range.

Further chances were created towards the end of the half with Crago seeing a shot well saved on 43 minutes after good work by Jones and Thomson with the hosts responding on 44 minutes with a free kick from distance finding Harvey Fox unmarked at the far post but his shot lacked power with Parkes saving comfortably.

After Parkway’s bright start, Didcot gradually worked their way back into the game with the elusive Gallagher a constant threat. Parkway were unable to maintain their early momentum by conceding possession too often, too easily in midfield allowing the hosts back into the game.

They were able to create further chances but a combination of poor finishing, solid defending and good goalkeeping saw the game finely balanced at 2-2 at the break.

Attendance
0

The 2nd half started off at a frantic pace and a high tempo with Crago going clear on 47 minutes and rounding Bedwell who did well to grab the loose ball at the feet of Crago to deny him further progress towards goal.

On 51 minutes Parkway created another good chance with Williams, Crago and Jones combining well along the left with Crago firing way over when well placed. Parkway continued to control the midfield area with Didcot defending well and playing on the counter, mainly down the left where Gallagher continued to threaten.

Parkway continued to create half chances with a Crago header saved on 54 minutes and a Hall cross on 56 minutes headed behind for a corner. Both sides then made changes with Rio Garside replacing Thomson and Seth Humphries replacing Alexander for the hosts. Play went through a scrappy phase with little pattern or shape with Pat Osborne firing wildly over for the hosts on 59 minutes.

On 66 minutes a Didcot corner on the right came to nothing as Parkway continued to defend solidly with Cairo and Crago breaking away and linking well on 67 minutes with Jones heading the cross just over.

Garside then shot just wide on the turn from close range on 70 minutes as Parkway continued to press and create the better opportunities. Bray-Evans then replaced the hard working Cairo on 72 minutes to provide additional firepower. Didcot continued to defend solidly and on 75 minutes a counter attack along the left saw Gallagher twist and turn to cross which was well gathered by Parkes.

On 76 minutes a long ball into the Didcot 18 yard area found Bray-Evans whose powerful cross was well intercepted by Bedwell. Parkway made their final change on 77 minutes with Matt Wright replacing Crago who had worked hard for little reward. On 79 minutes a Parkway free kick from distance was headed on by Wright to Bray-Evans whose cross flew narrowly over the bar.

Didcot then applied a period of pressure with again Gallagher at the heart of all the hosts attacking threat and firing a deep cross on 80 minutes which was well defended. The game remained open with neither side seemingly settling for the draw and continuing to look for the winner.

On 83 minutes Jones showing good close control wide on the left went clear and cut inside only to scuff his shot which was easily saved by Bedwell. Didcot made their final changes on 84 minutes with Harry Pitman and Tobias Brenan replacing Sam Barder and Osborne and they took the lead for their first time shortly after.

Didcot pressure stretched the Parkway defence with Brenan’s first action in the game to be tripped on the turn in the penalty area and his second to step up and hammer home the spot kick. In the 5 minutes of added time Parkway continued to push forward looking for an equaliser but the Didcot defence held firm to cling on to their slender lead. The final action saw Parkway force a late corner with Parkes joining the attack but the corner was cleared and with the keeper stranded up field a speculative Didcot effort from just inside their own half drifted narrowly wide of the goal with Hall in hot pursuit.

A frustrating afternoon for Parkway who after starting the game so well and being in total control for 25 minutes lost their way allowing Didcot back into the game by half time making the second half a more even affair.

Parkway created the clearer and more frequent chances but lacked the clinical finishing, composure or quality in the final third to turn pressure into goals. The pivotal moment was undoubtedly the on field decision to change the regular penalty taker who had a 6 out of 7 conversion rate to a player yet to take a spot kick this season. Had that kick been converted and a 3 goal lead established, the game could well have had a different outcome. We’ll never know. The irony being that the game was decided by a one goal margin and that goal was a late penalty by the hosts!

Other results on the day, some surprising and unexpected, sees Parkway drop to 19th, the final relegation slot, and only on goal difference ahead of 20th placed Hanwell Town to whom they travel next Thursday for what will clearly be a crunch game. Before that Parkway travel to 13th placed Poole Town on Tuesday as the demanding schedule continues.

The following week sees 3 successive home games which hopefully can be played at Bolitho Parkway before the season finally concludes on Saturday 27th April with a visit to Beaconsfield Town.

Match Info

Line-ups:

Didcot Town

1 Bedwell, 2 Grant, 3 Fox, 4 Putland, 5 Carnell, 6 Learoyd ©, 7, Barder (Brenan 84), 8 Glover, 9 Gallagher, 10 Alexander (Humphries 57) 11 Osborne (Pitman 84).

Substitutes

12 Humphries, 14 Bennett (unused), 15 Brenan, 16 Pitman, 17 Rouse (unused)

Plymouth Parkway

1 Parkes, 2 White, 3 Hall, 4 Purrington, 6 Down ©, 7 Williams, 8 Sangster, 9 Thomson (Garside 56), 11 Cairo (Bray-Evans 72), 11 Crago (Wright 77), 12 Jones.

Substitutes

14 Garside, 5 Rose (unused), 16 Bray-Evans, 17 Wright 

Attendance 488 (25 Parkway)

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