RESULTS - Tuesday 7 March 2023

[Dave Deacon]

Bracknell Town             6-1        Salisbury

Chesham United           1-2        Merthyr Town

Harrow Borough            2-2        Tiverton Town

Metropolitan Police       1-1        North Leigh

Plymouth Parkway         2-0        Gosport Borough

Weston-super-Mare      2-2        Beaconsfield Town

[Ian Pethick]

Parkway back on the horse, winning courtesy of a goal in each half from Ryan Lane and Jack Crago.

Worrying though that they appeared to have, in reality, one 1 on the bench last night with (I would think) Ben Seymour and Mikey Williams named but not fit to start, plus Billy Palfrey now out for the season. Harrison King didn't feature in the squad at all . If Parkway do secure the points needed to secure safety this season (as looks likely), then perhaps it might be an idea to use players from the club's highly rated under 18's to fill the bench. If this isn't considered viable, then you do begin to wonder what the point is of having them.

And, with us talking about attendances, comfortably the lowest league gate of the season at Bolitho. Know it's a Tuesday, doubt normally very well supported Gosport brought many and it sounds like it's bloody freezing back in the UK, but 228 is a pretty poor turn out.

[Gary Hocking]

11 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

And, with us talking about attendances, comfortably the lowest league gate of the season at Bolitho. Know it's a Tuesday, doubt normally very well supported Gosport brought many and it sounds like it's bloody freezing back in the UK, but 228 is a pretty poor turn out.

Official attendance at Millbrook was 36 (though I did a rough headcount inside the ground and I reckoned it was in the 60s). I assume both Parkway & Millbrook would have been impacted by Argyle being at home (and yes, it was bloody freezing). 

[Ian Pethick]

1 minute ago, GaryHocking said:

Official attendance at Millbrook was 36 (though I did a rough headcount inside the ground and I reckoned it was in the 60s). I assume both Parkway & Millbrook would have been impacted by Argyle being at home (and yes, it was bloody freezing). 

Millbrook is another team I worry about long term in the Western League. They are the Cornish club that looks like will be most impacted by the collapse of the Western/Peninsula League merger.

[Ian Pethick]

Very good night for Truro (even though they didn't play), with Weston only drawing and Chesham losing.

[sportsman10]

Was actually a very good game at bolitho but absolutely bloody freezing had about 4 coffee’s just to keep the hands warm.  
Parkway were very good and never felt gosport troubled them. Could have been more with better finishing.  
I do worry about the lack of players and option with a lot of games on the horizon what happen to likes of Ryan Richards etc sighed to help out ?

I see Tiverton have signed Carlo Garside and pedro borges to bolster the squad. Players I would have thought parkway would snap up. 

[Foul Throw 3]

3 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

If Parkway do secure the points needed to secure safety this season (as looks likely), then perhaps it might be an idea to use players from the club's highly rated under 18's to fill the bench. If this isn't considered viable, then you do begin to wonder what the point is of having them.

A majority of these highly rated youngsters are already with WL and SWL clubs from the names I'm aware of. Big jump from DJM u18s to Parkway 1st Team! Maybe this initial investment in the 18s side, a few years at a more local level like SWL and WL will allow them to gain valuable experience at a level where they will get games as minutes is far more valuable than sitting on the bench and not being utilised. Then in the future have another look and bring them onboard if they've been on a decent trajectory? Maybe a similar argument for Truro u18s too. 

[Dave Deacon]

4 hours ago, Way Of The Park said:

then perhaps it might be an idea to use players from the club's highly rated under 18's to fill the bench.

I thought a few of them are already playing SWPL with Dobwalls. If that is the case I think I’d rather continue playing rather than “fill the bench”!

[Foul Throw 3]

1 minute ago, Dave Deacon said:

I thought a few of them are already playing SWPL with Dobwalls. If that is the case I think I’d rather continue playing rather than “fill the bench”!

Bleasdale with Saltash 1sts.

Castlehouse & Larrieu with Dobwalls 1sts.

Smith with Torpoint 1sts

Love-Holmes with Millbrook 1sts.

Pretty sure a few other names I've seen about too just not 100% sure. But even 5 lads already regulars are Step 5 and 6 is decent and are being given opportunities to freshen up established squads. 

[Dave Deacon]

16 minutes ago, Foul Throw 3 said:

Bleasdale with Saltash 1sts.

Castlehouse & Larrieu with Dobwalls 1sts.

Smith with Torpoint 1sts

Love-Holmes with Millbrook 1sts.

Pretty sure a few other names I've seen about too just not 100% sure. But even 5 lads already regulars are Step 5 and 6 is decent and are being given opportunities to freshen up established squads. 

But my point is if I was in their place, would I prefer to play regular or have a spell of sitting on the bench, spending extra time on the road to get 15 minutes of game time every so often when I could be playing all but 90 a lot closer to home!

[Foul Throw 3]

2 minutes ago, Dave Deacon said:

But my point is if I was in their place, would I prefer to play regular or have a spell of sitting on the bench, spending extra time on the road to get 15 minutes of game time every so often when I could be playing all but 90 a lot closer to home!

Completely agree. Looks like that's what they're doing. So if Parkway are smart they're at least monitoring their progression.

[Dave Deacon]

2 minutes ago, Foul Throw 3 said:

So if Parkway are smart they're at least monitoring their progression.

One would hope so.

[sportsman10]

Wouldn’t hurt to sit on the bench at home games tho. Would give them great experience 

[Ian Pethick]

9 hours ago, sportsman10 said:

Was actually a very good game at bolitho but absolutely bloody freezing had about 4 coffee’s just to keep the hands warm.  
Parkway were very good and never felt gosport troubled them. Could have been more with better finishing.  
I do worry about the lack of players and option with a lot of games on the horizon what happen to likes of Ryan Richards etc sighed to help out ?

I see Tiverton have signed Carlo Garside and pedro borges to bolster the squad. Players I would have thought parkway would snap up. 

Carlo Garside was with Parkway at the start of the season, but joined Southern League Larkhall (believe he studies at Bath Uni, and has recently been selected for the English Universities side). Pedro Borges was briefly on loan at Parkway, but got recalled.

[Ian Pethick]

8 hours ago, Dave Deacon said:

But my point is if I was in their place, would I prefer to play regular or have a spell of sitting on the bench, spending extra time on the road to get 15 minutes of game time every so often when I could be playing all but 90 a lot closer to home!

Only Millbrook had a game in midweek so, in pheory, the others were available.

I understand players wanting regular games at weekends with WL and SWPL clubs but, my point is, they are registered players with Parkway's Southern League squad and also part of their youth set up, it would have preferable to have these lads in and around the match day squad (even if they didn't come off the bench) to effectively only having 1 usable sub last night. Again, I have no idea of the circumstances surrounding these particular players, and how they are thought of by the club's management but, to give a couple of examples, Callum Bleasdale of Saltash was an unused sub for Parkway's 1st game this season and Jacob Smith of Torpoint made a few appearances off the bench during last season's title winning campaign. 

Given how Parkway are probably a couple of wins away from safety in this division, I would have thought that the midweek games in particular (and when there are no commitment clashes) would have been the ideal opportunity to get a few of these players involved and evaluated.