Parkway click into gear with five star win over Dorchester Town
Parkway vs Dorchester Town | Match ReportPlymouth Parkway entertained Dorchester Town who arrived on a run of 4 unbeaten league games with their only recent defeat being the 2-0 reverse to Parkway in the FA Cup earlier in the month. Parkway made one change to the starting 11 from Saturday’s narrow defeat to Harrow Borough with Henry Wilson replacing Rio Garside who dropped to the bench.
 Plymouth ParkwayDorchester Town 
5 - 0Full Time |
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Images: Tom Finnie
Dorchester started brightly making a couple of early breaks forward which were comfortably dealt with by the Parkway defence. On 8 minutes Adam Parkes was called into action for the first time confidently gathering a cross from the Dorchester left.
Parkway began to get into their stride and on 9 minutes good play through midfield set up Ryan Lane whose shot was easily saved by Lloyd Thomas. With Parkway increasing the tempo they almost took the lead on 12 minutes. Good link up play between Reece Thomson, Mikey Williams and Lane forced a corner from which Toby Down’s header was cleared off the line with the 2nd corner punched clear by Thomas.
Parkway continued to press high and play with intensity and on 14 minutes Lane’s shot with his weaker foot was blocked for a corner from which Jack Crago’s header was deflected behind for a another corner.
Parkway continued in the ascendancy, dominating possession and moving the ball at pace playing at a high tempo and on 17 minutes Callum Hall shot just over after more good approach play by Williams. With Parkway controlling the game with their pace and movement it was no surprise when they took the lead on 19 minutes. A long ball to Crago along the right saw him release Thomson whose sublime first touch took him beyond his marker and into the 18 area where he rattled home a rising drive from around 15 yards with his first goal for the club after his recent arrival from Saltash United.
Parkway quickly doubled their lead on 21 minutes with another quality goal. Another neat exchange between Thomson and Crago saw the latter’s header drop to Hall some 30 yards out whose stunning first time shot flew into the top corner past a static Thomas.
Parkway continued to apply pressure with Dorchester offering little going forward with Oscar Halls, Shane White and Down looking calm, composed, and untroubled in defence. On 22 minutes Thomson was the first player to be cautioned after gently tapping the ball away from a Dorchester free kick, an unfortunate victim of the new FA directive regarding time wasting.
Parkway continued to dominate possession with the tenacious Wilson winning a series of challenges in midfield denying Dorchester time and space on the ball as Parkway remained in control and looking threatening with every attack. On 27 minutes the visitors Will Spetch became the next player to be cautioned as the pressure increased on the Dorchester defence. A Parkway break on 35 minutes saw Williams, Hall and Crago do well to penetrate the Dorchester backline with the ball being desperately cleared.
On 38 minutes a determined run by Hall saw him beat the goalkeeper to a long ball way outside his area wide on the left, round the keeper and fire in a low cross which was cleared away.
Approaching half time Parkway continued to press winning a free kick centrally around 20 yards out with Wilson’s low drive rebounding off the wall and away.
With Parkway maintaining the pressure the visitor’s Jack Dickson saw yellow for another foul with White and Hall then linking well on the right with Thomas doing well to claim the cross. In the 3 minutes of added time Parkway continued to control the game with no further alarms.
An encouraging half by Parkway who dominated and controlled the game throughout playing expansively and with intensity capped with two quality goals. Dorchester rarely threatened going forward and were forced to defend for long periods.
Like the first half Dorchester started the second sharply but with a couple of shots failing to hit the target. Their cause was not helped in the 49th minute with Dickson, having already been booked, making a reckless and unnecessary challenge on Williams and rightly receiving a second yellow card.
Parkway quickly re-established control with their patient build up play with Wilson continuing to hassle and harry in midfield continually breaking up play and not allowing Dorchester to create any forward momentum. With Parkway continuing to press, Tom Purrington made a strong run forward on 56 minutes only to be fouled around 25 yards out with Lewis Waterfield being cautioned for the challenge. From the resultant free kick Lane’s effort rattled the top of the bar and flew behind for a goal kick.
Jordan Barnett replaced Louie Slough on 62 minutes for the visitors as they continued to come under pressure with White’s effort in the 66th minute being disallowed for offside denying Parkway their 3rd goal. Spetch was then replaced by Ieuan Turner followed by a rare Dorchester counter attack seeing a Leighton Thomas shot blocked.
Garside then replaced the hard working Purrington shortly before they increased their lead on 69 minutes.
Yet another Parkway attack saw them win a free kick wide on the right with Crago rising unchallenged to glance home a header from around 8 yards.
Dorchester then created a bit of momentum and on 70 minutes Parkes, with arguably his first save of the game, did well to block a close range effort from Leighton Thomas. Dorchester then forced a couple of corners as the Parkway defence came under pressure for the first time but they remained solid clearing their lines on both occasions.
On 73 minutes the industrious Hall who seemed to pop everywhere on the pitch saw yellow for a marginally high foot as Parkway continued to look dangerous going forward and they duly increased their lead against the 10 men on 75 minutes.
A break along the left saw Hall’s crossfield ball release Crago who raced clear along the right with his angled drive deceiving the keeper for his 50th goal for the club to go with his many assists.
The front two of Thomson and Crago both of whom had put in excellent shifts, constantly pressurising the Dorchester defence were then replaced by Matt Wright and Dylan Jones in a like for like change.
Parkway continued their high tempo game and on 77 minutes Lane’s cross from the left found White whose header was finger tipped over the bar by Thomas with Wright heading over the resultant corner.
Dorchester made their final change on 80 minutes with Benjani Mwaruwari replacing Shaquille Gwengwe shortly before Parkway went nap with their 5th goal on 82 minutes. More good build up play saw a cross to the far post headed back across the goal for Wright to head powerfully home for his 1st goal since returning to the club.
The outstanding Hall then saw his shot deflected behind for a corner and with the game coming to an end with 5 minutes of added time and with Parkway arguably easing down to manage the game out,
Dorchester created their best chances of the game. Wilson did well to block a shot from Jordan Ngalo with Parkes doing equally well to block a close range effort from Leighton Thomas.
The final action saw Parkes make a comfortable save from a Dorchester free kick with Parkway successfully keeping a rare clean sheet.
A convincing all round performance and thoroughly deserved win by Parkway albeit against a disappointing and disjointed Dorchester. Having said that, Parkway’s application, desire and commitment didn’t allow Dorchester to get a foothold in the game with a performance they have been threatening to produce for some time. No doubt tougher challenges lie ahead. Other results on the night sees Parkway remain in the bottom 4 but climb a place to 20th with the clean sheet and margin of victory enhancing their goal difference.
Parkway have no game this Saturday with their scheduled league game against AFC Totton postponed due to their opponents being involved in an FA Cup tie. They now have a week to refocus, recover and rest before a tough looking visit to an in form Winchester City next Tuesday.
Match Info
PLYMOUTH PARKWAY 5 (Thomson 19, Hall 21, Crago 69, 75, Wright 82)
DORCHESTER TOWN 0
Line-ups:
Plymouth Parkway
1 Parkes, 2 White, 3 Lane ©, 4 Wilson, 5 Halls, 6 Down, 7 Williams, 8 Purrington (Garside 67) 9 Thomson (Wright 75), 10 Hall, 11 Crago (Jones 75)
Substitutes:
12 Garside, 14 Cairo (unused), 15 Rose (unused), 16 Jones, 17 Wright
Dorchester Town:
1 Lloyd Thomas, 3 Haste, 22 Spetch (Turner 71) 4 Slough (Barnett 62), 5 Ngalo ©, 6 Foot, 7 Waterfield, 8 Moore, 9 Leighton Thomas, 10 Gwengwe (Mwaruwari 88), 11 Dickson (sent off 49 minutes – 2nd yellow).
Substitutes:
2 Turner, 14 Mwaruwari, 15 Barnett, 16 Moyes (unused), 17 Toms (unused)
Attendance: 389 (estimate 30 away)
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