Recap

Report

A night of frustration evolved for the Peacocks at Bolitho Park as they saw a two goal lead inside the opening 20 minutes whittled away and down to ten men for the final half an hour of play they can probably count themselves fortunate to travel back up the A38 with a point.

In the first ever competitive meeting between the sides, the visitors made three changes from the game with Hanwell, with Owen Brain, Archie Ferris and Alfie Moulden dropping to the bench and being replaced by Jayden Nielsen, David Duru and Aysa Corrick, making his first start in a Taunton shirt. After a slow start to proceedings, the contest sprang to life after ten minutes when the hosts nearly grabbed an early lead, Mikey Williams beating his man down the left to cross for former Peacock Matt Wright to plant a far post header off the crossbar.

After a slapdash opening period from the Peacocks, they responded by breaking the deadlock after 14 minutes. Rio Garside was caught dawdling by Corrick who surged forward, took a step outside the defender and fired low and hard across keeper Ewan Griffiths from 15 yards to find the net via the inside of the post. Rio Garside and Wright put further headers over the top for the Devonians who were caught napping again after 20 minutes when Town doubled their lead. Nielsen’s first corner traversed the box to the opposite side where Toby Down won another and from this one, Tom Purrington played it short to Nielsen who connected sweetly from the left edge of the box to drill home a humdinger past the startled Griffiths.

Parkway could scarcely believe they were trailing after Town had seized their only two openings, but they set about trying to reduce the deficit with some patient approach work, helped by the visitors suddenly sitting deeper. Another Taunton old boy Ryan Brett lobbed over the bar after Dylan Jones’ cross had been cleared while Jones ghosted in from the left to see his low strike palmed away by Adam Parkes in the Town goal. The Plymouth side were now having the lion’s share of possession and pulled a goal back after 38 minutes, the ball being worked in from the left via Williams for Brett to fire a rising strike past Parkes from the edge of the area.

Parkway eked out another couple of opportunities before the break, with Brett’s shot parried and collected by Parkes after the ball ran loose from a corner and then Brett’s cross being met by Rio Garside’s diving header which deflected off teammate Wright and out. Into added time at the end of the half and a Peacocks’ break nearly came up trumps, Nielsen’s drive into the box creating a chance for Purrington who couldn’t connect, and Shane White cleared off the line, with Nielsen’s follow-up effort claimed by Griffiths.

Charlie Dashfield replaced Jake Hodgson for a second half in which the visitors were second best. Parkway centre half Taylor Scarff saw his header clutched by Parkes under pressure while Wright’s header flew well wide from Will Armstrong’s cross as the home side kept Town pegged back. In an effort to rejuvenate things, Brain and Ferris replaced Corrick and Duru just past the hour but Ferris’ involvement was brief, an unnecessarily late challenge on Carlo Garside igniting an unfriendly melee and the end result of a straight red card.

Down to ten men, Town now had a real job on their hands, and they soon conceded the equaliser, a low delivery from Jones from the left finding Williams on the near post who turned to slant an effort off the underside of the bar and into the roof of the net from six yards. The one clear opportunity for the Peacocks to regain the lead arrived moments later, an Eddie Jones cross being laid off by Tom Smith to Purrington who saw his shot from 12 yards kept out by the leg of Griffiths.

The remainder of the game saw Taunton dig deep to defend their point as Parkway sensed their first home league win of the season. Parkes blocked a shot from James Watts-Barciela and held a downward header from Jack Crago before home celebrations were cut short when a close range finish was ruled out for offside. The Peacocks utilised their two remaining substitutions as the 90 minutes loomed, leaving seven minutes of stoppage to negotiate. Parkes was forced into a fine save when turning away Watts-Barciela’s strike after the Parkway man had cut in from the right before the last action of the evening saw Brain’s corner for Town eventually find Moulden whose shot was blocked, the final whistle sounding to confirm a fourth league game undefeated for the Peacocks albeit from an unconvincing performance.

Line-Ups

Taunton: Adam Parkes, Eddie Jones, Ollie Woodhouse, Toby Down, Tom Purrington (Harris Feltham 87), Tom Smith (captain) (Alfie Moulden 87), Jake Hodgson (Charlie Dashfield 45), David Duru (Archie Ferris 61), Jayden Nielsen, Morgan Lewis, Aysa Corrick (Owen Brain 61)

Plymouth Parkway: Ewan Griffiths, Will Armstrong, Ryan Brett, Taylor Scarff, Shane White (captain), Mikey Williams, Rio Garside (Callum Hall 61), Dylan Jones, Joe Wragg (James Watts-Barciela 79), Matt Wright (Jack Crago 79), Carlo Garside (Gene Price 69). Unused sub: Callum Rose

Officials

Referee: Aiden Madden (Plymouth)
Referee’s Assistant 1: Kevin Hoare (Launceston)
Referee’s Assistant 2: Neil Hunnisett (Saltash)

Attendance

405

Reaction

“Poor performance, probably our worst this season, not acceptable really………” watch the reaction of manager Richard Luffman on Peacocks TV HERE

Highlights

TBC

Photos

Match photos from club photographer Debbie Gould can be viewed HERE

Taunton Town MOM

Jayden Nielsen receives the Taunton Town Man Of The Match award as chosen by Peacocks’ supporters James and Hetty Blackmore