Parkway progress in the cup with fine win over Dorchester Town
Plymouth Parkway v Dorchester Town | Match ReportParkway entered this season’s FA Cup at the third stage with fellow Southern Premier side Dorchester Town the visitors to Bolitho Park. One change was made to Monday’s starting line up at Tiverton Town with the returning Callum Rose replacing the injured Joe Belsten.
Full Match Report
Images: Tom Finnie
With little between the sides in the early stages and both feeling their way into the game, Dorchester forced an early corner before Parkway created the first chance of the game on 9 minutes. Good work along the left saw Ryan Lane’s cross find Matt Wright whose close range drive was blocked by Lloyd Thomas in the visitor’s goal with Thomas again denying Parkway by blocking Rio Garside’s follow up effort.
Dorchester’s long ball clearance found Leighton Thomas racing clear along the right and squaring to the unmarked Shaquille Gwengwe who pulled his angled shot just wide. Garside then saw his header comfortably saved by Lloyd Thomas after more good work on the left by Wright.
Play continued with no real pattern and neither side able to gain control in midfield with too many passes going astray and the game lacking any real flow or rhythm. On 17 minutes Garside’s low free kick from the right skidded narrowly wide of the far post. On 19 minutes Mikey Williams picked up the game’s first yellow card after being unable to retreat quickly enough from a Dorchester free kick deep in their own half.
The tricky Leighton Thomas continued to be the visitors most dangerous player and a swift counter attack saw him force a corner after good Parkway defending. With neither side still unable to take control and defences on top, clear chances were few and far between with neither goalkeeper being tested.
On 26 minutes Dorchester created an opportunity after more smart play by Leighton Thomas whose cross was headed clear only as far as Jordan Barnett who blasted well over. Parkway gradually began to apply pressure through their midfield pressing and on 29 minutes Wright did well to reach a long range clearance only for his cross to lack lower or direction with Lloyd Thomas gathering comfortably.
The deadlock was broken on 32 minutes with Parkway taking the lead. Determined and persistent play by Jack Crago won a free kick wide on the left with Lane’s quality delivery to the far post finding central defender Oscar Halls timing his run to perfection and rising highest to power home a bullet header for his third goal of the season in 6 games.
The game continued to ebb and flow in a congested midfield area with neither side able to dominate and defences remaining solid. Dorchester continued to look to play on the counter and on 36 minutes a deep cross from the left was confidently taken in the air by an under pressure Adam Parkes.
Parkway almost doubled their lead on 39 minutes. A cross by Garside into the danger area saw the ball bouncing around in the 6 yard box with firstly a Crago header being blocked followed by Wright’s close range effort from the rebound saved by the keeper. Approaching half time the visitor’s Jordan Foot was booked for a foul on Wright with Halls header from the free kick flying just over. Rose was then cautioned after retaliation to a challenge as the half came to scrappy end after 2 minutes of added time.
A battling half from both sides which lacked any real quality with play bitty and fragmented, frequently broken up by a series of free kicks and stoppages generally for petty and minor infringements. Parkway created the clearer chances but it was no real surprise that their only goal came from a set piece.
Aaron Goulty replaced Rose for Parkway at the break and the second half began as the first half had finished with a free kick with Dorchester’s Jordan Ngalo cautioned and no one able to get a final touch to Lane’s curling delivery to the far post.
On 49 minutes Toby Down then saw yellow as play switched to the other end with Barnett firing the free kick well over. As the half progressed Parkway gradually began to take control, dominate possession in midfield with Callum Hall and Tom Purrington prominent forcing errors from the visitors and looking to use the wide areas to good effect and stretch the visitor’s backline.
The cautions continued to rise with Lewis Waterfield the next to see yellow on 54 minutes. From the resultant free kick a neat exchange between Williams and Lane on the left saw the latter’s drilled low cross fumbled by Lloyd Thomas with Crago blasting his effort well over from close range.
Parkway continued to apply pressure and clever link play between Hall and Wright on 56 minutes almost penetrated the Dorchester defence with the ball being desperately cleared. A rare Dorchester counter on 58 minutes saw Parkes save easily from Olaf Koszela’s angled drive. Gwengwe was then cautioned for a foul with Parkway’s free kick finding Hall on the left who did well to pick out Crago who turned sharply with his shot deflected for a corner from which Down’s header crashed against a post and scrambled away to safety.
Parkway made their second change on 64 minutes with Alfie Moulden replacing Wright and they increased their lead shortly after.
A long ball wide on the left saw Hall’s persistence and high pressing create confusion between a defender and goalkeeper causing an error with Crago pouncing on the loose ball and ramming home into the unguarded goal from around 8 yards.
Parkway remained the dominant side continuing to apply pressure and play at a high tempo forcing Dorchester to defend deeper and they made their first change on 72 minutes with Harvey-Joe Bertrand coming on for Alfie Saunders.
Bertrand almost made an immediate impact on 74 minutes heading just wide from a cross from the left by Koszela. Benjani Mwaruwari then replaced Waterfield as Dorchester looked to introduce fresh legs in an attempt to get something from the game. Parkway however continued to control the pace of the game and on 76 minutes forced another corner after good work between Moulden and Crago.
On 78 minutes Crago displayed a good first touch to control a long ball and pulled the ball back from the bye line which just evaded Hall who had made a fine supporting run from deep.
On 80 minutes the effervescent Hall almost increased the lead with his rasping drive from around 15 yards parried away by Lloyd Thomas. Parkway finished the game strongly and on 82 minutes Moulden and Crago again linked well to set up Garside whose shot was pushed behind for a corner.
To a well earned round of applause the hard working, enthusiastic Crago was then replaced by Dylan Jones. A rare Dorchester break on 85 minutes saw a long range effort from Foot fail to trouble Parkes who had rarely been called into action in the half.
The visitors then made their final change with Jamie Hosking replacing Alex Moyse. In the 6 minutes of added time Parkway were content to manage the game out with Dorchester creating the last chance of the game winning a free kick on the left with Jones doing well at the far post to win an important defensive header.
Not a game to live long in the memory but after a fairly even and uneventful first half, Parkway upped their game in the second and showing good organisation and application, battled well throughout, dominated for long periods creating a number of clear chances and defended solidly.
Dorchester competed well throughout but lacked the cutting edge in the final third with Parkway remaining composed and in control in defence to keep their second clean sheet in their last three games and deservedly being in the hat for Monday’s draw for the next round.
18th placed Parkway on 4 points return to league action next Saturday when 14th placed Hanwell Town on 7 points are the visitors to Bolitho Park.
Match Info
Line-ups:
Parkway
1 Parkes, 2 Hall, 3 Lane ©, 4 Halls, 5 Rose (Goulty ht), 6 Down, 7 Williams, 8 Purrington, 9 Crago (Jones 82), 10 Garside, 17 Wright (Moulden 64)
Substitutes:
12 Moulden, 14 Goulty, 15 Jones, 16 Cairo (unused), 13 Sidey (gk) (unused)
Dorchester
1 Lloyd Thomas, 2 Saunders (Bertrand 72), 3 Haste, 4 Waterfield (Mwaruwari 75), 5 Ngalo ©, 6 Foot, 7, Barnett, 8 Moyse (Hosking 85), 9 Koszela, 10, Gwengwe, 11 Leighton Thomas.
Substitutes:
14 Mwaruwari, 15 Slough (unused), 16 Turner (unused), 17 Graziano (unused), 18 Bertrand, 19 Hosking.
Attendance: 244 (estimate 15 away)
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