Plymouth Parkway suffered a third straight defeat away from home

Plymouth Parkway suffered a third straight defeat away from home as third-placed Hanworth Villa came out on top to win 4-2

The sun accompanied Parkway on their early departure from PL5, with last weekend’s rain giving way to bright skies and warmer temperatures. Manager Karl Curtis had hinted at further changes following Tuesday’s midweek victory over Gloucester City, and he stayed true to his word. Ed Harrison was recalled to the starting XI in place of Callum Hall, while Will Sullivan came in on the right side of defence for Jensen Ireland. With just a point separating the sides in the table, and both having scored 27 league goals, the afternoon promised an intriguing contest in TW16.

The opening exchanges failed to match the anticipation, with both sides slow out of the blocks and possession largely confined to their respective defensive units. Parkway’s message was clear: if you cannot win it, do not lose it. However, that gameplan was torn up just past the ten-minute mark.

The Villains began to make inroads down either flank, with the impressive Sam Sesay and Josh Casey causing problems. It was down the left that they found their breakthrough. A beautifully threaded pass from Casey found striker Michael Harding in space inside the area, allowing him to tee up Haydon Vaughan on the edge of the box. Vaughan made no mistake, calmly slotting past a helpless Aaron Dearing to put the hosts ahead.

Villa were beginning to purr, with Toure Williams and Elliot Bolton dictating proceedings in the heart of midfield. Harding was providing an excellent link-up as a striker, while the dangerous trio of Giovanni McGregor, Vaughan, and Jack Leahy were beginning to find their rhythm.

Captain Rio Garside registered Parkway’s first attempt on goal, but the visitors’ backline was coming under increasing pressure as a second goal looked inevitable. It duly arrived in the 23rd minute. Another intelligent ball over the top caught the Parkway defence out, finding McGregor with time and space inside the box. As Dearing came to close him down, McGregor picked out Leahy, who took a touch before finding the bottom-right corner. Despite the best efforts of three Parkway players on the goal line, the number 12 doubled Villa’s advantage with just 23 minutes on the clock.

Following a stoppage for a head injury to Vaughan, Curtis took the opportunity to gather his players, regroup, and change the shape of his side in a bid to nullify an increasingly confident home team. In his post-match interview, Karl admitted he feared the scoreline could turn ugly, with memories of last season’s 7-0 defeat at Poole Town beginning to resurface. To Parkway’s credit, however, they regrouped and began to contain the home side.

And in the 38th minute, they found a route back into the contest. A hard-working delivery from Will Sullivan found its way to Rocky Neal, who intelligently laid the ball into the path of Harrison on the edge of the area. The number 15 marked his recall to the starting XI with a fine, low strike that beat Pat Nash and gave Parkway a lifeline heading into the break after a difficult first half.

Parkway emerged for the second half on a more level footing. A succession of corners and spells of possession began to fuel belief among the travelling supporters that a comeback was possible.

But in the 53rd minute, that optimism was dealt a significant blow. As Karl reflected after the game, it was the third goal that ultimately killed the contest. A succession of throw-ins allowed Giovanni McGregor time to fizz a ball into the box. It evaded the Parkway defence, leaving wing-back Sam Sesay to get the better of Joel Sullivan before beating Dearing with ease.

Parkway’s promising start to the second half had been undone in an instant. Changes followed, with one eye already on Tuesday evening, as the tempo began to drop. Hanworth, though, continued to threaten and put the game beyond doubt in the 74th minute. More excellent hold-up play from Harding released Sesay down the right once again. His pull-back found the edge of the area, where the onrushing Jake Leahy arrived to finish and signal game over.

Parkway, to their credit, refused to accept that verdict. The final 15 minutes saw the visitors play some genuinely threatening football and, on another day, better finishing could have set up a grandstand finish. Substitute Henry Donovan had a gilt-edged opportunity but fired straight at Nash. Reece Thomson found himself with more time than perhaps he realised, only to see his snatched effort also directed straight at the Hanworth goalkeeper.

Parkway did find a consolation in the 86th minute, with two substitutes combining to good effect. The returning Mikey Williams showed his intelligence to set up Callum Hall, who took a touch to get the ball out of his feet before unleashing an unstoppable strike with his weaker right foot to register his 7th goal of the season. It was a reminder that, had Parkway taken their earlier chances, the closing stages could have made for a far more interesting finish.

The final whistle underlined the quality of the league. Hanworth were excellent on the day: organised, confident, and thoroughly comfortable on the immaculate 3G surface at Rectory Meadow. The reverse fixture at Bolitho in February may well be a different contest, but the Villains demonstrated their play-off credentials and look certain to be in the mix come the end of the season.

Parkway could have crumbled, as they might have in seasons past, but once again showed a spirit that refused to let them do so. Despite being second best for large periods, a different approach and better fortune in front of goal could perhaps have yielded something from the afternoon.

Defeat inevitably makes things feel more disappointing, but with the same nucleus of a squad that has struggled over the past two seasons, the management team continues to get the absolute maximum out of its players. Parkway remain fifth after 14 games. The away form may prove to be the first blip in an otherwise fine campaign. Three lengthy trips have now yielded no points and nine goals conceded, presenting Karl and his team with a problem to solve, rather than one to worry about.

Parkway return to Bolitho with the national spotlight firmly on the club. First up on Tuesday is a test against league leaders Uxbridge, who cruised to a 2-0 home victory over Yate Town.

Then comes the big one. The TNT cameras will arrive at Bolitho for the much-anticipated, now sold-out FA Cup First Round tie against league counterparts Berkhamsted next Monday evening. It is a moment to be enjoyed by everyone. Ten years ago, Karl Curtis arrived at Bolitho Park as assistant manager to Lee Hobbs, believing Parkway had the potential to become as big as other clubs across the South West.

A decade of hard work from so many at the club has seen Plymouth Parkway become the fourth-biggest club in Devon based on league position. Now, the TNT cameras will be at the ground that so many call home, a place where countless special memories have been made.

Defeats will happen. Hanworth were the better side on their home patch, but the bigger picture and the story of just how far little old Plymouth Parkway have come should remain firmly in the rear-view mirror. First up, a test against the league leaders, before the magic of the FA Cup truly kicks in.