No luck of the draw for angry Parkway
THE footballing Cup Gods have not been kind to Plymouth Parkway after they were drawn away to National South side Oxford City in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup, writes Stuart James.
This is the furthest that the club have reached in the competition and with the first round proper in sight, a home draw would have been most welcome at Bolitho Park. But instead, Lee Hobbs and his side must travel to Oxfordshire for an FA Cup clash for the third time already this season, on Saturday, October 1 where the home side will start as clear favourites.
That said, Oxford have shown inconsistency in their season so far with four wins and four defeats from their eight league games. They include former Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United striker Klaidi Lolos in their ranks. However, Hobbs could not hide his dismay at the draw – for so many reasons.
“If we get drawn away in the FA Trophy on Monday, then six of our next seven games are away from home, playing SaturdayTuesday, and we play seven games in 25 days, five already guaranteed on the road,” a dismayed Hobbs said.
“It’s horrendous and there are no positives to take from it at all. We are going back to the same area for the third time (having beaten Didcot town and North Leigh, both based in Oxfordshire) so there are no positives at all. It has done us, if I am honest.
“It’s not good and, to make matters worse, they play on a 3G pitch as well!”
Financially, it is a blow for Parkway as well as it means postponing their home Saturday game in the Southern League Premier against Winchester City to accommodate the Cup trip to Oxford.
Winchester will now be played in midweek, but that will hit takings at the bar as well with Hobbs frustrated at so few Saturday home games.
“If we are not at home in the Trophy, then we won’t have been at home since Merthyr on August 20 on a Saturday – that’s nine weeks between then and our next home Saturday on October 22,” Hobbs said. “We know what time we will have to leave though.”
Elsewhere, Cornish side Helston Athletic will head to Weston Super Mare if they could overcome Southern League Division One South side Bishop’s Cleeve in last night’s second round replay at Kellaway Park.