Plymouth Parkway 2 Marine 3
Pitching In Southern League Premier South | Saturday 11th January 2025
Match Report from Pete Crockett
MARINE’S HEROIC SMASH AND GRAB
Marine’s boss Stuart Fleetwood in his post-match interview said, “I am conscious we were a bit fortunate today but you create your own luck.“ It was a comment that aptly summed up the day’s events.
The cold reality is that Marine had some good fortune, took advantage of their own lucky breaks, and dug deep when it mattered. This was a scrapped win. It was not a day where the team’s passing game flowed but it was a day where they showed impressive depths of fortitude. I use that word advisedly as the definition of “fortitude” is “the power to resist attack and show strength.” That is exactly what Marine demonstrated.
The first ten minutes of the match were a bit of a spar as the two teams sussed each other out. However, on ten minutes the game sparked into life with a moment of spectacularly good football. The hosts James Watts-Barciella hit a great strike from 25-yards and the ball seemed destined for the top corner. However, an airborne Fiachra Pagel diving to his left got a strong hand to it to guide it wide of the post. Two minutes later James Watts-Barciella fed a ball into Calum Hall but his effort cleared the crossbar.
On the quarter of an hour mark Marine mounted their first attack of substance. Some slick passing saw the ball worked to Harry Williams whose shot from 15-yards was on target but pushed away to safety by the home keeper. This was a rare Marine excursion into the home team’s defensive areas and attacks rained down on the visiting defenders. On 19 minutes Matt Wright flicked on to Mikey Williams whose header was thwarted by a good save from the Marine keeper.
Then on 24 minutes the irrepressible James Watts-Barciella stood up a cross to the back post but Tom Dean’s header went wide. However, a minute later the home team took the lead. From 25 yards Callum Hall struck a block buster of a shot into the top corner. It was a tremendous goal and even as an opposition supporter you just have to acknowledge the quality of the strike.
On the half hour mark Fiachra Pagel was called into action again tipping an effort from James Watts-Barciella over the crossbar. The wide men were causing problems for Marine’s back three and the visiting management team made the pragmatic decision to go to a back five. At this point the priority was to stay in the game and get to halftime for a regroup. It worked well with the home team’s efforts of note limited to a Matt Wright header on 40 minutes that cleared the crossbar by inches.
The half time ponderings of the two sets of supporters will have been very different. Those supporting the home team will justifiably feel their team deserved more than a one goal lead. Those of a Marine disposition will have been grateful to still have a foothold in the match.
The second half was a more even contest for its first thirty minutes. On 49 minutes Marine got the confidence boost they needed, when breaking down the right Olly Mehew played a ball across the face of the penalty area to Michael Fernandes whose firmly struck shot took a wicked deflection that wrong footed the home keeper. The ball nestled in the back of the net to the joy of the Marine players.
A minute later the Plymothians nearly restored their lead when a Rio Garside effort from distance skimmed the top of the crossbar. However, on 55 minutes the visitors were back in front. Marine defenders had done well to snuff out a surge into the box from Rio Garside at the expense of a corner kick.
The resultant left side corner was met by a well-timed run, towering leap, and powerful header from Tom Scarff. His header was low and hard and whilst Marine’s keeper got fingertips to it was too forceful to stop. The visiting players looked to the assistant believing that a home player was in an offside position and interfering with their keeper’s attempt to save. The assistant declined to signal and it was 2-1 to the home team.
On 58 minutes Parkway’s keeper went to clear the ball - he was either clipped, obstructed, or dropped the ball, even possibly all three. The ball fell loose in the box and there was a scrap for possession that ended with a Marine player felled just outside the box.
The home team were incensed at the non-award of a free kick for a foul on the keeper berating the officials. From the Marine free kick Michael Fernandes drove an effort at the shambolic defensive wall. The ball took a wicked diversion that, as with the first goal, wrong footed the keeper and found the back of the net. Some will say it was lucky goal. Others might reflect that it was a pretty shoddy wall that parted so easily.
Then on 72 minutes Marine took the lead. There was nothing flukie about this goal. Michael Fernandes had defenders spinning one way then the other. His cross to the back post was intelligently nodded across goal by a looped Lucias Vine header that took out defenders and keeper. Harry Williams timed his run perfectly and scored with a deft flick of the foot at the back post.
The home team were further incensed with the referee on 78 minutes when a tackle from Nick Peare in the middle of the park caught one of their players. The Marine’s players feet were low, but it could be argued it was a lunge and that he was not in control of his challenge. It was a tackle that gave the referee a decision to make. However, his time to reflect was hampered by his being surrounded by home team players.
It always strikes me that such an approach is counterproductive on two fronts – firstly it induces resistance from the official to not be bounced into a decision, and secondly in dealing with the protest the official’s focus is diverted from the management of the initial offence. In the end he opted to administer a yellow card to the Marine defender.
Marine finished the match withstanding a twenty-eight-minute onslaught of attacks. The three centre backs defended resolutely, keeper Fiachra Page claimed crosses with assurance, and the whole team gave every sinew of energy to press, tackle, and block. In one instance Jamie Edge courageously threw himself in front of a pile driving effort that had only travelled a couple of yards – it was heroic stuff.
At the final whistle the body language of the two teams was so different. Marine players were jubilant at having battled out a win against the odds. The home team crestfallen that they ended a match with nothing to show for what was a good performance. They know that they will play worse this season and win matches, this was just not their day.
Some will say this was a fortuitous Marine victory. That is too simplistic. When the chips were down the players dug deep, they scored three goals, and they gave their all. It is not their fault that the home team did not take advantage of their first half dominance. It is to their credit that they made their opponents pay for not finishing them off.
Cogitating on a player of the match five names came to mind. Michael Fernandes scored two and set up one, it is a pleasure to watch him when in this form. Keeper Fiachra Pagel kept Marine in the game first half with several excellent saves, he was also commanding in those final stages when Marine were under the cosh.
The centre back trio of Jake Lee, Ioan Richards, and Nick Peare were outstanding, they were courageous, commanding, and defended with footballing intelligence when under incessant pressure, any one of them would be worthy of player of the match. Ultimately though Nick Peare just edged it for me, this was undoubtedly his best performance since joining the club.
This was a scrapped team victory that was earned on the efforts of every player, this includes the substitutes who came on and made invaluable contributions. Credit also needs to be given to the management team. They showed tactical flexibility when required; made excellent substitutions; and used the half time break effectively to refocus the team after a tricky first half.
Well done Marine!
Plymouth Star Man: Taylor Scarff
Marine Star Man: Nick Peare
Line Ups
PLYMOUTH PARKWAY 
Manager: Chris McPhee
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Andy Sowden-Bird 2. Tom Dean 5. Taylor Scarff 6. Shane White (c) 7. Micky Williams 8. Callum Hall 10. Rio Garside 16. Jack Endacott 17. Matt Wright 19. James Wats-Barciela 20. Carlo Garside
Subs not used: 3. Sam Joce 4. Ryan Brett
Goalscorers: Callum Hall 25’ 
, Taylor Scarff 55’
Cards:
Jack Endacott 16’, Callum Hall 40’, Rio Garside 45’ 
None 
Carlo Garside 90+8’, 90+9’ 
SWINDON SUPERMARINE 
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Jake Lee 5. Ioan Richards 20. Nick Peare 6. Jamie Edge 8. Liban Ibrahim (12.Anton Dworzak 65’) 9. Harry Williams 10. Michael Fernandes (15.Gabe Reivers 79’) 11. Olly Mehew (14. Lucias Vine 69’)
Subs not used: 13. Dan Brabham, 16. Oludayo Sonoiki
Goalscorers: Michael Fernandes 49’, 59’ , Harry Williams 72’
Cards:
Sam Turl 35’, Nick Peare 79’
None
None
Match Gallery
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Courtesy of Alex White Photography
Post Match Teamsheet
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Courtesy of Southern Football League
Match Officials
Referee: Luke McFarlane
Assistant Referees: Dillion Gascoigne, Nathan Beech
