First Taste Of Defeat For Lack Lustre Park View

Alex Clark

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 8th August 2026 Newcastle University 1 v 0 Park View AFC

No goals, no points both added up to a first defeat of the season for a disappointing Park View AFC at Essity Park Prudhoe. Plenty of possession as always and some reasonable chances but non taken and nothing gained.

Park View came into the game on the back of successive draws. Both of those results at home to Seaton Carew and away at Seaham Red Star were games that PV were disappointed had not ended in wins. Saturday was different.

Whilst they could have been searching quite easily for a fifth win in a row they ended the contest now without a win in their last three games and only two points from a possible nine.

Park View made four changes to their starting XI. Nathan Conroy returned from holiday to lead the line and was joined up front by the fit again Niall Armstrong. Jacob Mallinson was also fit enough again to make the eleven.

Ollie Taylor was the other change stepping up from the bench. Out were

Charlie Loveday who has started the season in superb form with a hamstring injury and Carter Bell withdrawn at Seaham missed out due to a groin issue.

Frankie Young and Lukas Thompson both dropping down to the bench once again made up of five Under-18s that had all played a part in a morning friendly at that level where Park View had beaten Wallsend Boys Club 4 - 1.

In the early going though the changes did not seem to affect Park View who started the game brightly. Mallinson going close with a well struck volley from just outside the box inside the first 90 seconds.

Then Conroy pinched a ball in midfield and found the advancing Brandon Young. Young returned the ball inside the box to Conroy but his goal bound effort was well blocked by Uni skipper Adam Redford.

PV skipper Ben Gallagher set-up the next chance with industrious work in midfield before finding Armstrong on the edge of the box. He in turn squared the ball to Reyhan Grimaud bursting forward from right wing back.

Grimaud perhaps could have taken the ball closer to goal but chose instead to hit a first time effort from the edge of the box that flew well over the bar. A chance not taken.

Then a good ball into the box by Young saw Redford concede a corner. Mallinson's delivery though was too deep for every one although Park View did recycle and the ball fell to Armstrong inside the box.

Unfortunately his snapshot on the half turn from a good position lacked sufficient power to trouble Sam Cooper in the Uni goal who got down easily to save.

Little had been seen of Newcastle early on but they did start finding their feet particularly in the midfield areas and started to come more into the game. Their first opportunity almost bringing them the opening goal.

Ben Kirkman playing a clever ball down the right that saw Billy Murray get behind the Park View box. From an angle just inside the 18-yard box Murray drove in a fierce cross shot that just went wide of the far post.

From the goal kick Park View fashioned a lovely move. Keeper Davy Carter playing a ball into the centre circle to Young who controlled well and passed to Conroy. The big striker played a lovely through ball towards Armstrong.

But Cooper was alert to the danger and came off his line smartly to deny Armstrong a chance to get to the ball and test his goal.

A Lucas Aldcroft throw-in on the left for the home side caused PV problems as it reached Harrison Richards inside the box. He turned well and hit a crisp right-footer that was deflected inches wide by Mallinson for a corner.

Matthew Foster wasted the kick though hitting it far too deep and hard and Carter was able to watch as the ball sailed out for a goal kick.

The best chance of the first half came the way on 36 minutes for Park View. Good work on the left by Taylor saw him pick out Conroy about ten-yards from goal.

Conroy got a good low shot in but Cooper dived to his left and palmed the ball away for a corner in fine style denying an opening goal. Mallinson took the corner and Alex Clark rose highest but his head was straight at Cooper.

Gallagher then conceded a free-kick some 25-yards from his own goal with a foul on Jack McClarin. Foster lined up the opportunity but although he cleared the defensive wall his hard hit effort comfortably cleared the PV crossbar as well.

Right on half time Park View almost got in on goal. A Park View free-kick saw Clark head the ball down and a scramble ensued. Mallinson had two chances. His first effort being blocked and then he could not turn the second on target.

It ended a half which in the end lacked real clear cut chances as both sides cancelled each other out. Park View had started well and had the better of the possession but Newcastle grew into the game and were looking very solid also.

The Uni started the second half the brighter. Aldcroft making a penetrating run down the left before playing a neat ball inside to Murray. The wide man made run for a good shooting chance but from 22-yards out his shot was too high.

Park View in response squandered a great chance. Armstrong finding Mallinson breaking forward with a neat inside pass. Mallinson then playing Gallagher into the box with an even better forward ball.

With Conroy totally unmarked at the left hand side to the box Gallagher instead took the decision to shoot for goal. Although his right foot effort was well struck it went narrowly wide leaving Conroy frustratingly in space.

Park View then went close again with a succession of opportunities none of which they could nail. Grimaud with a great foray forward and pass to the ever willing Gallagher inside the box.

The PV skipper hesitating just long enough for a Uni defender to get in a block. The ball came back to Armstrong who squared it to Conroy. His first effort was blocked by Redford and the rebound came back to the PV striker.

His second effort from 10-yards out was bravely blocked again by Redford taking the full brunt of a fiercely hit shot. The ball fell to Mallinson who got a shot on target but not with enough power to trouble Cooper who scrambled it away.

Taylor then won a corner on the left off Stephen Pennington. Mallinson swung the kick in and Clark showing good aerial prowess was first to it but his header was too close to Cooper who grabbed it comfortably above his head.

Both sides then made substitutions to try and freshen things up as they looked to open up the game. Park View had a half chance when two of their substitutes were involved in a move.

Isaac Anderson crossing from the left. Armstrong flicked it on and then Zac Boddy nodded it down into Gallagher's path but the midfielder horribly miscued his shot from a good position and the chance was gone.

The deadlock was finally broken on 75 minutes. Although Park View had carved out the better chances it always felt that the Uni defence was in control and that their midfield was starting to control the game.

They struck on the counter attack. A ball from Pennington out of defence caught too many Park View players forward and out of position as substitute George Makanjila controlled it just inside the PV half.

Spotting Foster breaking on the right he played a great ball to the striker that saw him in acres of space with Anderson out of position and Jamie Frizzel not getting across to cover the danger.

Foster strode into the box and as Carter came off his line to try and narrow the angle the Uni no. 9 smashed it across his dive ad into the far side of the goal. A pinpoint accurate low finish to give the home side the lead.

Park View did try to respond but Newcastle continued to look solid were often first to any loose ball and always seemed to have time and composure in the centre of the park.

As the minutes ticked by Armstrong did have one effort from the edge of the box but Pennington managed to get a block on the shot and make it a comfortable easy save for Cooper.

The last meaningful goal noteworthy incident being when Markus Giefalk smashed a long ball forward into the Uni box. It looked comfortable for Cooper but he fumbled the ball and then had to be quick to clear in front of Armstrong.

In truth though Park View unusually for them had to resort to long balls forward that the Newcastle defence coped with comfortably. The home side well on top and in control of possession when the whistle went to give them the win.

In the end Newcastle just about deserved their win. A bit more experience and calmness in their work particularly in the second half earning them a third win of the season and seeing them leap frog Park View in the table.

Park View who drop to eighth huffed and puffed without any real end product and at times were giving the ball away too easily. They now have to re-group quickly once again with high-flying Darlington Town up next on Wednesday.

TEAM : 1. Davy Carter 2. Niall Armstrong 3 . Jamie Frizzel 4. Ollie Taylor 5. Alex Clark 6. Markus Giefalk 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Ben Gallagher (c) 9. Nathan Conroy 10. Brandon Young 11. Reyhan Grimaud

SUBS : 12. Frankie Young (for Brandon Young 87 mins) 13. Isaac Anderson (for Taylor 63 mins) 14. Bobby Gough (for Grimaud 81 mins) 15. Lukas Thompson (for Mallinson 87 mins) 16. Zac Boddy (for Conroy 63 mins)

PLAYER of the MATCH : Alex Clark