Parkway play out a goaless draw at home to Hartley Wintney
Parkway entertained 2nd from bottom Hartley Wintney looking to build on their recent 4 match unbeaten run. 3 changes were made from Tuesday’s last gasp victory over Merthyr Town with Ben Seymour, Jack Crago and Dan Rooney starting in place of Aaron Goulty, Oscar Massey and the injured Mikey Williams.
The visitors had recent new signings Sharn Quinn and Afolabi Soyemi-Ololade making their debuts.
 Plymouth ParkwayHartley Wintney FC 
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Full Match Report
Images by Tom Finnie
The game got off to a cagey start at no great tempo with Crago forcing an early corner on 4 minutes with the visitors creating the first chance on 8 minutes with Harry Lee pushing away a well struck effort from around 15 Yards.
Hartley created some early pressure but play started to become scrappy with neither side able to get any fluency into their play or retain any quality possession with too many passes going astray.
The visitors were clearly set up to sit in and get men behind the ball and look to frustrate Parkway with their closing down and pressuring the ball. The game continued to lack quality or a rhythm with neither side able to gain control or dictate play.
On 17 minutes Parkway created their first opportunity. Good build up play along the left between Callum Hall and Rio Garside saw the ball played into Crago who drew a good save from Marcin Brozozowski in the visitors goal with Garside firing the loose ball well wide.
Hartley continued to be well organised when not in possession, dropping deep with Parkway remaining patient in possession but unable to find a way through the visitors defensive lines.
On 24 minutes a Parkway attack along the right saw a dangerous cross from Harrison King blocked and cleared away. On 30 minutes patient build up play through midfield saw Rooney drag his shot wide from around 20 yards.
Parkway gradually began dominate proceedings and entered their best spell of the game.
On 32 minutes Toby Stephens combined well with Ryan Lane and Seymour who turned sharply to send in a shot which was comfortably saved by Brozozowski.
On 34 minutes a Hartley break from midfield ended with Harry Cooksley being released along the left but shooting harmlessly into the side netting from around 12 yards.
Parkway continued to play at a slow pace lacking intensity and unable to break though the visitors crowded midfield area.
On 38 minutes Hall shot well wide after a Parkway break along the right and on 41 minutes a strong run along the right by Crago whose cross found Seymour at the near post with his close range touch being cleared away.
Approaching half time a period of Parkway pressure saw the ball bouncing around in the 6 yard area with no one able to get a firm touch to force the ball home.
Crago then saw a good effort well blocked as Parkway finished the half on the offensive and in the 2 minutes of added time Crago headed on a Rooney free kick with Seymour just unable to get a final touch to a loose ball close to the goal line.
A fairly dull half lacking any great quality with neither side able to dominate or control the game but Parkway creating a couple of good chances.
The visitors were well drilled and organised and content to contain and play on the counter leaving Lee in the Parkway goal a virtual spectator.
After a sluggish start from Parkway, they improved as the half progressed creating a couple of chances forcing Brozozowski into action but were unable to impose themselves or penetrate the visitor’s solid backline too often.
Hartley created an early chance in the second half with Lee saving comfortably a Zidan Akers shot.
Parkway now playing at a higher tempo saw a Hall cross fly well over after good build up play along the left and on 51 minutes Crago’s cross from the right flashed across the 6 yard area with no one able to get a final touch.
Hartley made their first change on 53 minutes with Lene Burden replacing Cooksley. Parkway started to look more threatening and on 53 minutes Toby Down glanced a header wide from a Rooney free kick.
The visitors continued to frustrate conceding a series of free kicks and look to slow the game down whenever possible resulting in play becoming fragmented and lacking any real pattern.
A rare Hartley attack on 56 minutes saw Lee come off his line and comfortably gather a high ball. On 58 minutes a swift Parkway attack along the left saw Hall and Garside link well with the ball being laid back to Rooney on the edge of the 18 yard area whose shot flashed narrowly wide with Brozozowski scampering to his right.
Parkway continued to dominate possession but Hartley competed well and worked hard to break up play and deny the hosts any clear chances.
On the hour Stephens was replaced by Billy Palfrey who had missed the last 2 games through injury with his being fully match fit still in question.
Brozozowski saw yellow on 64 minutes after remonstrating with the referee after play had continued with a Hartley player lying prone in the 18 yard area. Archy Taylor replaced Sharn Quinn for the visitors shortly after.
Parkway continued to apply pressure as they looked to create openings with Garside and Crago having close range shots blocked in quick succession with only some desperate defending keeping the scoreline blank.
Down and Akers were booked on 74 minutes after an unseemly melee as play became increasingly scrappy and tempers became frayed.
Despite Parkway continuing to have the better of possession at times they lacked the patience or composure to trouble the Hartley defence who continued scrap, scrape and hold firm.
Parkway made their final substitutions on 78 minutes with Massey and Goulty replacing King and Garside. Parkway almost made the breakthrough their play deserved on 80 minutes.
Determined play by Seymour saw his cross met by Hall whose superb volley from around 20 yards skimmed the crossbar with the keeper beaten.
Hartley then broke clear forcing a corner which was cleared with the loose ball being fired back in but blocked and cleared.
Approaching full time Parkway forced 3 corners in succession as they pushed players forward leaving gaps at the back looking to break the deadlock but the visitors continued to defend in numbers and withstand the barrage.
Hartley continued to look to slow the game down with a series of injury stoppages to halt the Parkway momentum and on 89 minutes Shan Hollamby replaced Soyemi-Ololade to run the clock down.
In the first minute of added time Hartley broke along then right exposing gaps in the Parkway back line with Lee doing well to push away a cross cum shot with arguably his first meaningful save of the half.
Parkway continued to look for openings to create a late goalscoring opportunity but Hartley held firm and had a golden chance to steal the 3 points in the final minute.
The speedy Akers, who had looked Hartley’s most dangerous player all afternoon, raced clear along the left, skipped through a couple of tackles cut inside and drilled a low shot narrowly wide of the post after Lee had done well to narrow the angle. A last minute let off for Parkway.
A frustrating afternoon for Parkway against doughty, well organised, determined opponents who themselves were desperate for points to climb away from their current league position.
Parkway created a few chances but lacked the killer touch when and where it mattered with the draw probably a fair outcome. On the positive side Parkway extended their unbeaten run to 5 games having kept 4 clean sheets and only conceded 1 goal in that run and climbed 1 place to 15th in the table on goal difference.
However despite still having a number of games in hand, they remain just 3 points clear of the relegation zone.
An area of concern to the management will be the mounting number of injuries as the hectic Saturday/midweek/Saturday/midweek fixture schedule inevitably begins to take it’s toll on the small squad.
Reinforcements be they permanent or loan signings may be required in the not too distant future. Parkway return to Bolitho Park on Tuesday when Dorchester Town, who halted their run of 3 defeats with a 3-0 home win over Hanwell Town today, are the visitors.
This will be the 3rd meeting of the season with Dorchester winning the reverse league fixture 3-1 in early August with Parkway running out 2-0 winners at Bolitho in the FA Trophy 3rd round qualifier in early October.
Match Info
Line-ups:
Parkway:
1 Lee, 2 King (Goulty 67), 3 Lane ©, 4 Stephens (Palfrey 61), 5 Rose, 6 Down, 7 Hall, 8 Rooney, 9 Seymour, 10 Garside (Massey 67), 11 Crago
Substitutes: 12 Goulty, 14 Massey, 15 Palfrey
Hartley Wintney:
1 Brozozowski, 2 Leggett, 3 Paget, 4 Webb, 5 Nevile, 6 Winser, 7 Akers, 8 Quinn (Taylor 67), 9 Soyeni-Ololade (Hollamby 89), 10 Cooksley © (Burden 53), 11 Nuur
Substitutes: 12 Burden, 14 Taylor, 15 Hollamby
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