Watching Parkway is stressful stuff for manager Hobbs

BY his own admission, Lee Hobbs is a man of passion and emotion. But even he couldn't muster the energy to celebrate what turned out to be the winning goal in Plymouth Parkway's 2-1 victory over Didcot Town on Tuesday night.

- STUART JAMES

That result, courtesy of Tom Purrington's tidy first half finish and Reece Thomson's poacher's goal, was a huge fillip for Parkway in their quest to avoid relegation from the Southern League Premier Division. They are now just three points adrift of safety with plenty of games in hand, but the manner of victory was emotionally draining for Hobbs, to say the least.

"You know me just as well as anyone and I am a very emotional and passionate person and even if it is the sixth or seventh goal in a game, I will still celebrate it like it's the first or winning goal," Hobbs said. "For me to do that, that was the anger in me at the time! I haven't had too many of those moments in football, I haven't, but when I am seeing us miss opportunities that we are missing..."

Hobbs shook his head in disbelief as he reflected on the game, one where Parkway actually played really well. But the performance perhaps summed up their season as missed chances and errors at the other end have ultimately contributed to where they are today.