Parkway looking to keep Trophy story going

PLYMOUTH Parkway head out in search of a place in the Fourth Round of this season's FA Trophy on Saturday afternoon, but a tough test awaits and a trip into the unknown as they travel to Kent to face Isthmian Premier side Chatham Town.

- By MIKE PARRISH Football correspondent

It’s another long haul for Chris McPhee’s men.After two cancelled fixtures in their last three outings, the home fixture against Wimborne Town and last weekend’s washout at Hanwell, sandwiched around the narrow 1-0 defeat to Chertsey Town, Parkway find themselves precariously placed inside the drop zone. In that sense, the FA Trophy arrives as a timely distraction from the sea-saw of the league season. Yet all is not as grim as the table might suggest. Parkway have suffered only two defeats in their last twelve matches in all competitions, a run that has included steady progress to reach this stage of the Trophy.

And the Trophy story so far has carried every bit of the drama you'd want from a cup run. A fine 2-1 comeback win over Gosport Borough and a marathon penalty shootout victory over Poole Town set it in motion. Then came arguably the game of the season: a rip-buster, quintessential cup tie, and a 4-3 win over higher-level Salisbury at Bolitho that will live long in the memory. Parkway have found their best selves in this competition.