Gosport Borough’s FA Cup opponents Plymouth Parkway adapting well to life in the Southern League

They were promoted to the Southern League earlier this year as part of the FA’s restructuring of the non-league pyramid with one of the best records at step 5 football.
Jack Crago, left, is playing against Gosport Borough in the FA Cup first qualifying round for the second season running.Jack Crago, left, is playing against Gosport Borough in the FA Cup first qualifying round for the second season running.
Jack Crago, left, is playing against Gosport Borough in the FA Cup first qualifying round for the second season running.

And Plymouth Parkway, having strengthened an already strong squad in the close season, are in fine form ahead of this Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Gosport Borough.

The first qualifying round game at Privett Park is certainly an intriguing affair - pitting a Gosport side who have started their Southern League Premier South campaign well against an ambitious Parkway outfit who belted 10 goals in their two bank holiday weekend league victories.

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Parkway boasted the best points-per-game record over the two pandemic-wrecked Western League seasons - winning 30, drawing four and losing just two of their 36 matches.

Their PPG record was 2.61, compared to the best Wessex League average - US Portsmouth’s 2.23 - over the same period.

Tavistock (2.35) also boasted a better PPG average than their FA Vase fifth round conquerors USP, but only one club from each of the step 5 leagues was eligible for promotion.

Parkway prepared for their first Southern League campaign by signing two of the Tavistock side that were shocked 3-1 at home by USP in April - centre half Aaron Bentley and striker Jack Crago.

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Parkway had designs on the Vase themselves, beating Fareham Town 5-2 in April en route to the last 16. Highly fancied at home to Flackwell Heath, they suffered a shock 4-2 defeat – and Flackwell were also subsequently dumped out by US.

Ryan Richards and Craig Veal, who both scored against Fareham, have since left the club.

Crago, meanwhile, will be appearing against Gosport in the FA Cup for the second season running, having helped Tavistock claim a 2-2 home draw against their two divisions higher opponents in the first qualifying round last September. Back then, Pompey loanee Gerard Storey kept his nerve to give Boro a penalty shoot-out success following a torturous eight-hour coach trip to the outskirts of Dartmoor.

Parkway boss Lee Hobbs also signed striker Tom Bath in the summer, after he had netted 21 goals in 47 matches at Southern League Premier South level for Dorchester Town – including two in a 4-4 draw at Privett Park in December 2019.

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Defender Callum Rose, a former Aston Villa academy and Plymouth Argyle professional, was another close season arrival.

Crago is top scorer so far with five goals, having struck in both last Saturday’s 6-0 Southern League Division 1 South win at Mangotsfield and Monday’s 4-1 home success against Willand Rovers.

River Allen - like Rose and Bentley, a former Plymouth pro - is no stranger to Privett Park, having had a short loan spell at Gosport six years ago. He has netted in each of Parkway’s last four matches - all from the penalty spot.

After losing their league opener 1-0 at AFC Totton - a penalty deciding the game - Parkway conceded a last minute leveller in a 2-2 draw with Frome before romping to wins in their last two games.

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They also came from behind to beat Cornish lower division club Mousehole 3-1 in the preliminary round of the FA Cup.

Parkway have only ever once reached the second qualifying round in nine seasons of FA Cup action, while Gosport have not progressed beyond that stage in the last five campaigns. In 50 previous FA Cup seasons, Borough’s best run is the first round proper in 2014/15.

There is a cheque for £2,250 waiting for the winners of Saturday’s tie and a place in the second qualifying round draw on Monday. That is the stage when Hawks and their National League South rivals enter the tournament.

Gosport are hoping for a large crowd, given that Pompey aren’t playing and Hawks are at Ebbsfleet in the National League South. In the Wessex, Portchester, Moneyfields and Fareham are also all away.