Points shared despite Parkway digging deep at Bolitho
Plymouth Parkway v Beaconsfield Town | Match Report31 January 2023
The Yellows returned to Bolitho under the lights last night following the exciting display they put on against Poole Town on Saturday after winning 4-0 and taking those all important 3 points.
Lee Hobb’s side faced no changes in the starting line up as they welcomed Beaconsfield Town sitting in the top 10 of the table.
 Plymouth ParkwayBeaconsfield Town 
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After their impressive performance and win over Poole Town on Saturday, Parkway not surprisingly named an unchanged starting lineup for the visit of in form Beaconsfield Town who arrived on the back of just one defeat in their last six games.
Parkway started brightly forcing a couple of early corners the first of which saw an effort scrambled off the line followed by a close range overhead kick from Ben Seymour testing Kie Plumley, on loan from Oxford United, in the visitors goal. Parkway continued to dictate the early pace with Rio Garside and Harrison King combing well on the right on 6 minutes to create a cross from which Plumley gathered well from a Seymour header.
After weathering the early storm, Beaconsfield gradually began to settle into the game and on 8 minutes a quick break from midfield by Aaron Minhas saw his mishit shot comfortably gathered by Adam Parkes.
Play was developing into a tight affair switching from end to end with neither side able to gain midfield control with both defences looking strong.
On 12 minutes the visitors created a good chance with Nathan Minhas turning sharply on the edge of the 18 yard box and firing just over.
On 15 minutes a Parkway break along the right saw Austen Booth and King link well to force a corner which created a period of Parkway pressure with Mikey Williams prominent. Beaconsfield hung on for a period blocking a series of Parkway shots with Plumley saving an effort with his feet as the home side continued to threaten.
Parkway’s continued pressure saw the deadlock broken on 22 minutes. Neat link up one touch play after a corner on the left saw the ball laid back to Dan Rooney who drilled home a precise low, first time effort through a crowded 18 yard area for his first goal for the club.
Parkway should have doubled their lead a couple of minutes later when good work between Ryan Lane and Jack Crago down the right channel set up King whose angled drive from around 15 yards flew just wide of the far post when arguably he should have at least hit the target.
The game continued at a high tempo and being evenly contested in midfield with the visitors Sam Granville and Parkway’s Rooney the standout performers and on 27 minutes Beaconsfield almost conjured an equaliser.
After Parkway had conceded possession deep in the visitors half, a long ball found Nathan Minhas going clear with Booth showing good strength and concentration by matching his run stride for stride forcing the powerful striker to steer his effort narrowly wide of the right hand post from around 15 yards. A let off for Parkway.
Beaconsfield then had a period of controlled possession moving the ball well from deep and through their midfield forcing Parkway on to the defensive.
On 29 minutes clever play close to the bye line by Charlie Smith created an opening which was cleared away from inside the 6 yard box as Parkway continued to defend well.
Parkway gradually regained the initiative with Rooney continuing to look composed and creative on the ball supported in midfield by Billy Palfrey and the energetic Garside.
On 33 minutes King and Garside combined well along the right with a deep cross being cleared away and in their next attack on 37 minutes Garside did well to cut inside from the right with his shot once again being blocked by some determined defending.
A strong run and strike from Seymour then forced a good save from Plumley as Parkway continued to look threatening with their slick passing and movement creating space in the wide areas and stretching the Beaconsfield defence which remained firm under pressure.
The final action in the two minutes of stoppage time saw Lane make a strong run from deep along the left and fire in a low drive which was smothered at the foot of the near post by Plumley.
An absorbing, entertaining game between two evenly matched sides playing with intensity neither of whom were able to totally control the game with Parkway having the majority of the possession and creating plenty of chances but only managing to convert the one. Beaconsfield looking well organised and drilled, showed plenty of quality in midfield, defended solidly and looked dangerous on the counter.
Oscar Lucey replaced Max Bustamante-Macaire for Beaconsfield at half time with the visitors starting the half strongly.
On 48 minutes a corner was only half cleared with Myles Anderson volleying over from around 15 yards.
Parkway were forced into an early substitution on 53 minutes with Callum Hall replacing Palfrey who appeared to have picked an earlier injury.
The game followed a similar pattern to the first half with both sides battling well and Parkway the more positive but Beaconsfield continuing to look assured in defence and competitive in midfield.
On 58 minutes a Garside free kick cannoned off the wall and behind for a corner as Parkway continued to press and they almost increased their lead a minute later.
A corner was only cleared as far as Garside around 20 yards out whose spectacular volley was superbly pushed behind by Plumley diving full length to his left.
From the resultant corner clever play by Seymour set up Garside whose curling effort was blocked for yet another corner.
Parkway continued to press and probe with their final ball occasionally lacking quality allowing Beaconsfield to defend well and remain in contention.
On 66 minutes Oscar Massey replaced Crago who once again had worked throughout but was unable to replicate his goalscoring exploits from last Saturday.
On 68 minutes Hall won a strong challenge in midfield to release Massey with his effort being cleared to Garside who fired over from around 20 yards.
Beaconsfield continued to compete well with Granville and Dan Bradshaw having plenty of midfield possession as Parkway continued on the front foot looking to increase their lead and remaining relatively untroubled at the back.
Henry Hawkins, on a work experience loan from Queens Park Rangers, replaced Luke Neville on 69 minutes as Beaconsfield cleverly looked to disrupt the Parkway momentum by slowing down and breaking up play.
Good work by Seymour on 70 minutes saw him get beyond the visitors defence to the byeline only to be brought down by the experienced Sam Togwell who picked up a yellow card.
Play continued at a high tempo with Hall the next to see yellow on 78 minutes after a strong challenge in midfield as Beaconsfield pushed further forward looking to create openings.
Parkway continued to look strong at the back and continued to build from deep and a break long the right on 82 minutes was halted by a nasty challenge from Anderson who saw yellow.
Beaconsfield made their final change on 83 minutes with Ben De Lacy-Turner replacing Smith.
On 85 minutes a quick Parkway break along the right created a three on two situation with Massey just failing to play in Seymour who had made a timely run in support with the ball being cleared away. Parkway then succumbed to a sucker punch on 87 minutes.
A sustained period of Beaconsfield pressure built up along the right and a powerful whipped in, angled cross cum shot from Bradshaw appeared to take a slight deflection which deceived Parkes with the ball dropping in at his near post.
Massey who looked to have pulled up in an earlier attack was then replaced by Toby Stephens with Parkway looking to regain their composure in attempting to regain the lead. Beaconsfield seemed more content to hang on to the draw, showing little urgency to go forward and slowing the game down to their pace.
Parkway went searching for a winner and in the third of the five minutes of added time had a strong claim for a penalty turned down after King appeared to have been dragged down just inside the area.
Rooney then saw yellow for an innocuous looking midfield challenge borne more of frustration than anything as the game ended all square.
Despite the disappointment and frustration of conceding such a late goal, another good performance from Parkway in a highly competitive game against strong, well organised opponents who were never completely out of the game but can probably consider themselves fortunate to get the draw.
Parkway had more quality possession and created more chances but a combination of solid defending, good goalkeeping and a lack of composure at key moments in both boxes ultimately denied them the win their efforts deserved.
On a positive note, for the first time for a long time tonight’s point lifts Parkway out of the four automatic relegation slots and up to 18th place on goal difference which is vastly superior to other sides in their immediate vicinity.
Parkway now have a short break before embarking on two away games next week.
Saturday sees them visit 12th placed Salisbury who have lost their last four games including a 3-1 home defeat to Gosport Borough tonight followed by a trip next Tuesday to an in form 8th placed Merthyr Town who are on a five match unbeaten run stretching back to Boxing Day.
Match Info
Parkway:
1 Parkes, 2 King, 3 Lane ©, 4 Palfrey (Hall 53), 5 Rose, 6 Booth, 7 Williams, 8 Rooney, 9 Seymour, 10 Garside, 11 Crago (Massey 66) (88 Stephens)
Substitutes: 12 Goulty (unused), 14 Hall, 15 Down (unused), 16 Stephens, 17 Massey
Beaconsfield Town:
1 Plumley, 2 Smith (De Lacy-Turner 83), 3 Neville (Hawkins 68), 4 Togwell, 5 Anderson, 6 A Minhas ©, 7 Bradshaw, 8 Granville, 9 N Minhas, 10 Buchanan, 11 Bustamante-Mcaire (Lucey 46)
Substitutes: 12 Hawkins, 14 Lucey, 15 De Lacy-Turner, 16 Allsop (unused), 17 Peters (unused).
Attendance: 508
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