Plymouth Parkway 4 Marine 1

Match Report from Pete Crockett

Marine blown off course

If someone had said to a Marine supporter after 20 minutes that their side would lose this game 4-1 they would most certainly have got a disbelieving look. In the early stages of the match, with a strong wind swirling around the ground, Marine created a plethora of openings.

In the first few minutes Dave Sims-Burgess got ahead of his marker on the left side of the box. However, the ball got stuck under his feet as he looked to get a shot away cleanly and Adam Parkes in the Plymothian’s goal saved.

On the quarter of an hour mark Marine took the lead. George Dowling won possession on the edge of the box. Advancing on goal with only the keeper in front of him he was tripped. The referee blew his whistle and seemed to award a free kick on the edge of the area.

Thankfully the assistant, quite rightly, made clear that the offence was inside the box. Jake Andrews took the spot kick confidently netting to give Marine the lead.

On twenty minutes Michael Fernandes broke clear down the left flank. He hit a low cross to the front post, but Zack Kotwica’s flick passed wide of the upright.

Then on 25 minutes Plymouth Parkway were awarded a penalty after Jake Andrews was adjudged to have fouled Reece Thomson in the box, which looked a very dubious decision by the referee. Parkway’s Shane White sent Marine keeper Fiachra Pagel the wrong way to make it 1-1.

On the half hour mark Marine had another chance to go in front. George Dowling broke through the Parkway defence and entered the right side of the area. His low shot was well saved by the Parkway keeper.

Then three minutes later George Dowling got a shot away from the left side of the area but again Adam Parkes in the visitor’s goal made a good diving save to push the effort wide of the post.

On 34 minutes a long ball in the swirling wind caught out the Parkway defence. Dave Sims-Burgess advanced on goal, lobbed the keeper, but saw his shot bounce wide of the empty goal.

Marine were made to pay for this abundance of frittered chances. In the 36th minute Dylan Jones picked up the ball on the right flank and cut inside. He then fired a low shot that beat Fiachra Pagel at his near post.

Three minutes later Marine thought they had equalised when George Dowling chipped the keeper only to find his effort ruled out by a raised offside flag.

With the half time whistle looming Parkway were awarded a free kick some 25 yards from goal. Dylan Jones curled the ball around a wall and inside the post. In all honesty it was an excellent free kick, but the wall did not seem as well positioned as it might have been.

At half time Marine supporters were befuddled. They had created enough chances to have at least been level but instead saw their team trailing by three goals to one.

However, most did not, at this stage, rule their side out of getting something from the match and were hoping to see Marine take the game to their opponents. Having created so many openings in the first half there remained a plausible hope they could make a fight of it.

To be blunt Marine’s second half performance was indifferent. George Dowling got himself into a good position in the 65th minute but pulled his shot wide of the far post. There were also two close efforts from Harry Williams and Dave Sims-Burgess in injury time. However, there was neither the vigour nor pressure that many Marine supporters were hoping for.

Parkway essentially clinched what turned out to be a routine victory when Callum Hall made it 4-1 in the 67th minute engineering himself some space in the box and after some excellent hold up play by Dylan Jones he finished assuredly.

There were two positives from this match from a Marine perspective. The first was the number of openings Marine created in the first half of the match – although the profligacy with which good chances were spurned was frustrating.

The second was that George Dowling worked hard to get into scoring positions from midfield and showed the sort of tenacity needed in a relegation struggle.

Marine supporters will have felt sympathy for the team at half time. They were not two goals the worst and had created enough chances to go in at half time at least on level terms.

There was though an air of collective frustration about the second half performance. It was lacklustre and insipid when supporters yearned to see some collective energy, fight, and passion.

Marine have three games left to secure sufficient points to avoid relegation. They undoubtedly have the technical capability and quality to do this. These final three matches will though also be about the heart and character of every player who dons the Marine shirt.

Match the technical skills with collective character and all is not lost. As Shakespeare once wrote – “it is not in the stars to hold our destiny, it is in ourselves.”

Come on Marine!

Editors Marine Star Men: George Dowling
Editors Parkway Star Man: Dylan Jones
Attendance: 137

Line Ups

PLYMOUTH PARKWAY
Manager: Lee Hobbs
Colours: Yellow & Navy
Line-up: 1. Adam Parkes 2. Oscar Halls 4. Tom Purrington 5. Callum Rose (c) 6. Toby Down 7. Micky Williams 8. Shane White (14. Alex Cairo 74’) 9. Reece Thompson (16. Rio Garside 54’ ) 10. Callum Hall 11. Jack Crago (17. Matt Wright 68’) 12. Dylan Jones
Subs not used: 15. Jack Bray-Evans
Goalscorer: Shane White 24’pen, Dylan Jones 38’, 45’ Callum Hall 66’
Cards:
Oscar Halls 60’, Adam Parkes 65’, Dylan Jones 84’
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SWINDON SUPERMARINE
Head Coach: Stuart Fleetwood
Colours: All Blue
Line-up: 1. Fiachra Pagel 2. Sam Turl 3. Ryan Campbell 4. Mat Liddiard 5. Matt Bower 6. Jake Andrews (c) (16. Liban Ibrahim 74’) 7. Zack Kotwica (15. Harry Williams 65’) 8. Joe Tumelty 9. Dave Sims-Burgess 10. Michael Fernandes (16. Jamie Edge 74’) 11. George Dowling
Subs not used: 14. Ioan Richards, 15. Henry Spalding
Goalscorers: Jake Andrews 14’pen
Cards:
Ryan Campbell 44’, Michael Fernandes 71’
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Match Gallery

Click here for Match Photo’s
Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Team Sheet

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Match Officials

Referee: Tony Smith
Assistant Referees: Steve Saunders, Edward Hall