Clinical Worthing end Parkway's FA Cup dream

FA CUP 4TH ROUND QUALIFYING PLYMOUTH PARKWAY O WORTHING 4

- IAN KENDALL

PLYMOUTH Parkway welcomed National League South Worthing to Bolitho Park on Saturday for this history making FA Cup Fourth Round Qualifying tie. This was the first time Parkway had reached this stage of the competition, and they knew that victory would see them progress to the first round proper, when League One and Two clubs enter the fray.

With no Plymouth Argyle or Premier League distractions and the weather being fine, a bumper crowd of 1,203 – Parkway’s third highest crowd for a competitive match – turned out to watch the clash.

This was the first encounter between Parkway and Worthing, who currently sit in 10th place in National South, although they are expected to feature in the promotion shake-up and have only played three of their ten matches at home so far due to the construction work on a new stand, and sit two points outside the play-off places.

Parkway made three changes from last week’s FA Trophy victory over Banbury United, with ex-Parkway loanee Harry Lee joining on a months loan from Exeter City and playing in goal in place of Ewan Griffiths, who was called up by Wales U19 squad. Joe Wragg and Carlo Garside replaced Mikey Williams, who picked up an injury last week and dropped to the bench, and captain Shane White, who was unavailable, respectively. Ryan Brett took the captains armband.

After a quiet start to the match, Mitch Beardmore made a promising attack down the left in the fourth minute for the home side, but his cross was easily dealt with when he may have been better shooting.

On ten minutes, Worthing won the first corner of the game but the corner was well defended.

Parkway had the first shot of the match, in the 14th minute, when Ryan Brett played in Matt Wright who headed on to Joe Wragg only for his shot to slide by the left-hand post from 15 yards, never troubling Worthing ‘keeper Chris Haigh.