Parkway come out on top of a feisty encounter

TAUNTON HAVE A MAN SENT OFF AFTER 50 SECONDS AT BOLITHO

- By JACK HOBBS Football correspondent @JH_Journalism

PLYMOUTH Parkway claimed their third win on the bounce in a feisty midweek affair against Taunton Town at Bolitho Park on Tuesday.

Goals from Rocky Neal and Jake Smith cancelled out an equaliser from Niall Thompson to seal a vital win for Chris McPhee’s side.

It was a fiery start to the local derby and the extraordinarily early red card for Jack Rice, after an elbow on Ryan Brett, set the tone for the 90 to follow. But McPhee felt the referee had no option but to brandish the red card.

“It’s always special under the lights here at Bolitho, but the atmosphere tonight was electric,’ McPhee said. “We felt it from the moment we walked in and the players were warming up, there was a bit of a misty kind of feel about the place and as soon as the sun dropped down and the dew came up it was perfect conditions for the way we wanted to play.

“A minute into the game, an incident that affects the rest of the 90 minutes, really. But being 10 yards away from it, you see it clearly.

“He's just kicked out, it’s just one of those moments where two players come together, there's a little bit of handbags where they're going to get in each other's faces a little and their guy has just taken a bit of a swipe out at him.

“Fortunately for us, the linesman has seen it and we get a decision go for us which we don’t always get. But fair play to Taunton, the way they made it a real tough, tough game today.