Big improvements in Buckinghamshire despite defeat
Chesham Utd vs Parkway | Match ReportBy Graham Lloyd
Still looking for their first point of the season, an understrength Parkway travelled to Chesham United who had maximum points from their games with another abandoned when 3-1 ahead.
Chesham finished in the play offs last season and are strongly fancied to do so again this season. With goalkeeper Cory Harvey departed, Ryan Lane and Toby Down suspended, Alex Cairo and Harrison King injured and Mikey Williams unavailable,
Parkway made 4 changes from Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Sholing. The returning and former loanee Adam Parkes started in goal, Henry Wilson started for the first time since being injured in the first pre season friendly at Willand Rovers 6 weeks ago,
Dylan Jones made his debut with Callum Hall also starting. Parkway lined up in an unfamiliar 4 2 3 1 formation with usual midfielders Hall and Tom Purrington starting at left and right back respectively.
Chesham UnitedPlymouth Parkway
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After a fairly even start Parkway created an early opportunity on 6 minutes with a Jack Crago cross from the left seeing Jones glancing in a close range effort which was deflected into the arms of Cian Moore in the home goal.
Parkway continued to look lively and on 9 minutes a break along the left saw Lolot release Crago whose cross was blocked for a corner. The hosts having plenty of possession and building play patiently through midfield won a free kick 30 yards out on 11 minutes with Matt Wright doing well to head clear.
Play continued to switch from end to end with Harry Rush seeing his effort blocked on 11 minutes after good work wide on the right by Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick. A long kick forward by Parkes saw Crago bravely win a header and go clear along the left with his cross being blocked for another corner from which Parkway took the lead on 15 minutes. Chesham were unable to fully clear with Parkway recycling the loose ball and Rio Garside driving in a low cross from the left which was neatly tucked away inside the 6 yard area by Oscar Halls for his second goal in successive games.
Chesham responded well creating an opportunity on 17 minutes with a scramble inside the 18 yard box eventually being cleared by some desperate defending. Wilson was beginning to show his worth in his defensive midfield role with his tenacious tackling and timely interceptions breaking up the host’s frequent attacks. On 19 minutes Purrington made a strong mazy run from deep in his own half only to be halted just outside the Chesham 18 yard area.
Parkway continued to look threatening on the break and on 21 minutes Lolot and Garside linked well on the left with Jones first time shot from the cross cleared for a corner. Parkway continued to defend well and play on the counter and could have increased their lead on 26 minutes.
A superb first touch from Crago saw his cross into the danger area finding Jones whose shot was deflected to Wright whose close range strike was blocked by a last ditch challenge by Callum Adebiyi in front of an open goal. Play continued at an intense pace with the hosts almost drawing level on 32 minutes.
Parkes was forced to race from his area to block a Chesham break along the right with the ball breaking to the dangerous Hippolyte-Patrick who fired an angled drive narrowly wide. A sustained period of pressure then saw Chesham draw level on 35 minutes.
A neat passage of play along the right saw the ball played in to Jordan Gibbons whose first time shot from around 20 yards took a wicked deflection off the unfortunate Halls and wrong foot Parkes with the ball creeping agonisingly over the line.
With Chesham continuing to apply pressure but Parkway holding firm and defending solidly, the hosts almost took the lead on 39 minutes with an acrobatic overhead kick from the impressive Hippolyte-Patrick flashing narrowly wide after good work between Connor Roberts and Zak Joseph.
Joseph then saw his shot comfortably saved by Parkes before Parkway created another opportunity from which they should have retaken the lead. On 42 minutes determined play along the left by Lolot resulted in his cross reaching the unmarked Wright close in at the far post with the striker poking a shot narrowly wide when he should have scored. In the 3 minutes of added time play continued from end to end with no further chances being created and both sides defending well.
An entertaining, evenly contested half with Parkway more than holding their own with a gritty display, defending well and creating multiple chances which with more clinical finishing would have seen them ahead at the break.
The second half saw an early yellow card for Gibbons followed shortly after by one for Wright as play quickly picked up the pace of the first half.
The hosts created an early chance with Roberts firing just over when well placed but it was Parkway who retook the lead on 52 minutes. A cross from the left found Purrington who was bundled over in a central position around 30 yards out as he was about to shoot.
From the resultant free kick Garside curled a sumptuous left footed kick into the top left hand corner giving Moore no chance. Chesham made their first change on 55 minutes with Jordan Edwards replacing Lesley Duru.
On 56 minutes Parkway almost increased their lead when a Crago header from a free kick looped over the stranded Moore who backpedalled to claw the ball away before being eventually being cleared by some desperate defending in the 6 yard area.
The hosts made their second change on 58 minutes with Oliver McCoy replacing Rush. Chesham continued to apply pressure without creating too much as play went through a scrappy phase with a series of free kicks conceded by Chesham with Edwards seeing yellow on 65 minutes. Parkway continued to defend well with Callum Rose and Halls commanding in the centre of defence ably supported by Hall and Purrington with Wilson continuing to work hard impressively in breaking up play in front of the back 4.
However the defence was breached in spectacular style on 67 minutes as the hosts again drew level. A long raking diagonal ball to left by Adebiyi found the strong running Hippolyte-Patrick whose sublime first touch saw him cut inside his marker and fire in a powerfully hit angled shot from around 20 yards giving Parkes no chance.
Despite this, Parkway continued to compete well and on 70 minutes a neat through ball from Jones found Wright who was narrowly beaten to it just inside the 18 area with the ball being cleared for a throw in. Parkway made a double substitution on 73 minutes with Alfie Moulden and Aaron Goulty replacing Lolot and the tiring Wilson who had put an excellent shift in his first game back from his lengthy injury lay off. Gibbons then fired wildly wide for the hosts before being replaced on 75 minutes by Kaine Kennedy-Sinclair in what turned out be a game changing substitution.
On 79 minutes the hosts took the lead for the first time. A break along the left saw the ever dangerous Hippolyte-Patrick head back across the goal to Kennedy-Sinclair who with virtually his first touch since coming on tapped in at the far post despite being under some pressure from a Parkway defender. With play now opening up in midfield and Chesham dominating the exchanges, Parkway still managed to break forward and on 83 minutes forced a corner after good work along the left between Hall and Moulden. On 85minutes Parkway made their final change with debutant Vasile-Alexandru Lolot replacing Wright.
With the game still finely poised Chesham won a couple of free kicks wide on the right and from the second on 89 minutes substitute Kennedy-Sinclair hooked home a spectacular scissor kick from around 8 yards to just about seal the game. To their credit Parkway did not give up and pulled a goal back in the third of the added 7 minutes.
A free kick from the left saw Crago clattered into by Moore in the 18 yard area with nothing given and the ball cleared for a throw in. Chesham were unable to clear and with the ball bouncing around in the 6 yard box the alert Crago pounced on the loose ball and stabbed home from close range to reward his wholehearted efforts throughout the game.
Chesham then managed to game to it’s conclusion by playing long balls into the corners to retain possession and deny Parkway any opportunities to go forward and get anything from the game.
A spirited, resolute and vastly improved performance by Parkway who competed well throughout, took the lead twice and were unfortunate to come away with nothing against a strong Chesham outfit with clinical finishing the difference between the two sides. The Chesham manager’s immediate and frank post match interview saying his side got away with one and hardly deserved the 3 points summed up the game from his perspective. He was right! Parkway, hopefully with a near full strength squad available with players returning from injury and suspension now face a busy week ahead. Hendon face the long journey to Bolitho Park on Saturday followed on Bank Holiday Monday by Parkway travelling to Tiverton Town for the Devon derby. Despite today’s defeat, plenty of positives to take from the game and build on.
Match Info
CHESHAM
1 Moore, 2 Roberts, 3 Duru (Edwards 55), 4 Rolfe, 14 Casey ©, 17 Adebiyi, 7 Gallimore, 8 Rush (McCoy 58), 9 Joseph, 15 Gibbons (Kennedy-Sinclair 75), 11 Hippolyte-Patrick.
Substitutes
5 Connors (unused), 6 Mfinda (unused), 10 Edwards, 12 McCoy, 16 Kennedy-Sinclair
PARKWAY
1 Parkes, 3 Hall, 4 Halls, 5 Rose ©, 6 Wilson (Goulty 73), 7 Jones, 8 Purrington, 9 Crago, 10 Garside, 11 Ionel-Ciprian Lolot (Moulden 73), 17 Wright (Alex Lolot 85),
Substitutes
12 Moulden, 14 Goulty, 15 Vasile-Alexandru Lolot.
Atendance: 435 (estimate 30 away)