Honours Even In Hard Fought Tight Encounter

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Wednesday 12th August 2026 Park View AFC 1 v 1 Darlington Town

The tough and relentless early season schedule that is stretching all sides continued on Wednesday night in the hot eclipse led heat of another gloriously sunny night at The Riverside.

In-form Darlington Town being the visitors that the hosts Park View had to face. A win for Darlo could have taken them into second place in the table. A victory for PV possibly propelling them into the play-off picture.

In the end a well contested game ended all-square with both sides seemingly happy and content with a point each. Both sides will have taken positives and both sides will have taken things to work on away after 90 minutes of action.

For Park View injuries played a part in team selection once again. Charlie Loveday was joined in an overcrowded treatment room by Ollie Taylor and Brandon Young with Nathan Conroy only fit enough for a place on the bench.

Into the starting XI came fit-again Carter Bell as well as Zac Boddy returning to lead the line. Brandon's replacement being his younger brother Frankie a player well versed in Northern League battles.

Lewis Marshall also returned to the First Team squad on the bench following injury and watched on as his starting colleagues made a bright start in the early moments of the game.

Skipper Ben Gallagher getting the PV forward momentum moving with good play in midfield before releasing Reyhan Grimaud on the right. The wing back making progress into the box before deciding to cross low instead of shooting.

The ball came back to him off Lewis Cocks and he won a corner off Alfie Backhouse. Bell delivered a wicked in-swinging ball into the six-yard box but Joe Betteridge cleared the Town lines in front of Alex Clark for another corner.

Bell's delivery excellent again to the back post saw Jamie Frizzel rising highest. But he could only direct his header from inside the six-yard box wide of the goal and the chance went begging.

Then a long clearance from a Town defender almost caught PV's keeper Davy Carter. It looked a comfortable claim but he hesitated slightly. It gave Nathan Stephenson a chance to challenge.

The striker only succeeded in clattering into Carter who spilled the ball and Gareth McMahon tapped it into the empty net. However the referee correctly penalised Stephenson's challenge on Carter who received lengthy treatment.

Clark set the next PV attack up with a superb defensive header that found Jacob Mallinson breaking in midfield. Mallinson clipping a lovely ball over the top to the right for Niall Armstrong to run free.

Unfortunately for Park View Armstrong lacked a little composure when getting in to a good crossing place. His delivery far too deep to find Boddy and the ball drifting away.

Mallinson was looking lively and industrious in the centre of the park and good midfield play saw him win a ball and neatly find Markus Giefalk in space just inside the Darlington half.

Giefalk hitting a probing well directed diagonal ball into the Town box that Young making a late burst into the area only narrowly failed to get what would have almost certainly been a decisive touch.

Darlington were though beginning to come into the game. Passing the ball in midfield and across the park neatly looking for openings. A sustained spell of pressure saw them win two consecutive corners to push PV back.

The first was cleared by Frizzel at the expense of the second which was swung in dangerously into the six-yard area where Clark produced a great clearing header in front of the predatory McMahon.

At the other end Boddy won PV a throw-in level with the 18-yard line on the left. Grimaud went long, Clark flicked it on saw Cocks turn the ball over his own bar. Mallinson's corner punched clear by Town keeper Tyler Smith at the near post.

Giefalk tripped Will Maddison just outside the PV box. Stephenson whipped in the free-kick on target but straight at Carter who elected to punch the ball well clear of his box.

On 36 minutes the best chance of the game fell the visitor's way and should have seen them in front. A great cross from the right by Joel White found McMahon completely unmarked only six-yards out.

It looked a goal all day but McMahon despite making good contact with his header sent it wide of the right-hand post with only Carter to beat. A let-off for Park View but only a temporary one as Darlington took the lead on 39 minutes.

It came from a corner won by Maddison off Clark who cut out the wide man's cross. Jack Draper swinging the ball in causing confusion. Frizzel and Carter not dealing with it as Betteridge flicked it on inside the six-yard box.

It fell to Brandon Mallaburn who was only about three yards out and had the simple task of guiding the ball into the empty net to put his side in front. Mallaburn repeating his feat of scoring in the corresponding fixture last season.

It felt like the goal had been coming but it was still a disappointing way to concede for Park View who though showed great character and commitment to bounce back quickly.

Bell playing a lovely ball down the left to Boddy who almost put Grimaud in on goal. The Darlington defence closing him down and then when the ball span to Armstrong they crowded him out before he could get a shot off.

Again it was only a temporay reprieve for a defence as Park View levelled the game on 42 minutes with a peach of a finish from Mallinson. Boddy was involved challenging on the edge of the box.

The PV striker was stopped but Town did not clear their lines fully and Mallinson from just outside the area curled a superb right-foot effort high and very handsomely into the top left hand corner past Smith's despairing dive.

Game-on as half-time approached and Park View almost scoring in their next attack. Armstrong finding Mallinson neatly who did well to find Grimaud on the right. Grimaud pulled the ball back to Gallagher about 18-yards out.

Gallagher showed good footwork to create an opening on his left foot that he curled on target only to see Smith's dive left reap dividends for the away side as he tipped the ball around the post in great style.

Bell delivered the corner and Betteridge headed it well clear and suddenly a counter attack was on. Bell though getting back well to force McMahon to move the ball wide from a dangerous position to Maddison.

Maddison's cross aimed towards Stephenson at the back post was hit far too firmly and the ball sailed to safety. The referee bringing the game to a half-time interval immediately afterwards with the scores all level.

The second half opened with Park View almost taking the lead through Mallinson. The impressive central midfielder being denied by a flying diving tip over by Smith who did well to get to Mallinson's sweetly struck 20-yard volley.

Darlington though looked confident very solid and well organised in response. Jim Wilson picking out Stephenson on the edge of the box who immediately laid the ball off to Maddison who's 22-yard snapshot was just over the bar.

Then Carter had to come outside his box to clear a ball that McMahon was threatening to get on the end of. His kick only reaching White some 40-yards from goal.

With Carter leaving the goal unguarded White tried his luck from distance. It was on target but Carter was able to get back into position quickly and caught the effort easily.

Park View then had Clark booked for delaying the re-start at a free-kick and Armstrong moments later for a late challenging lunge that left Backhouse on the ground and needing attention.

Darlington were no looking strong but the Park View defence was not allowing them the opportunities to get into their box and create any real clear-cut chances.

More shots from distance was the order of the day. Raper playing a ball up to McMahon who laid it off to Maddison just outside the box. Once again though the midfielder's well-struck effort was too high to trouble Carter.

Town were working the ball ball well and another move saw Stephenson have a shooting chance but his shot took a deflection off a PV boot and went just wide. Raper's resultant corner hit too deep and beyond the far post.

Park View were then indebted to keeper Carter for keeping them level. Clark fouling McMahon about 22-yards out in a central position with Stephenson stepping up to take the free-kick.

Stephenson got the ball around the PV wall with his right-foot effort and the ball was on target. Carter though getting across really well at full stretch to dive low and turn the ball around his left-hand post.

Park View were looking dangerous on the counter and almost fashioned a goal with about twenty minutes to go. Mallinson doing well to control a bouncing ball in midfield before setting Grimaud away on the right.

The French wing-back breaking into the box only to see his low cross turned behind for a corner by Betteridge. Bell took it and swung a really dangerous ball to the post where Frizzel.

Frizzel was about 4-yards out and although his free header was firm it was unfortunately misdirected and flew wide of the post from a very good position where perhaps the big defender should have done better from.

Park View made their only substitution of the game with 13 minutes to go. 16-year-old Marshall coming on in the so-far unused role as a forward replacing Boddy who had put in a great shift.

Marshall was involved in the next chance PV created as they produced a fine flowing move. Gallagher playing the ball up to him and his first time flick allowed Mallinson to cut left to right across the pitch.

Mallinson found Grimaud again driving forward and he in turn passed the ball inside the Town box to find Armstrong who held off his marker well and then shot from about 14-yards out.

Smith getting down low to his left to keep the goal bound shot out with a neat clean save. As time ticked down PV were holding their lines well defending solidly against Town pressure as well as being dangerous on the break.

They created but couldn't take the final meaningful chance of the game. Good quick build-up play on the left involving Mallinson, Gallagher and Marshall giving Armstrong the ball inside the Darlington box.

The striker made good space for himself creating a shooting chance from about 16-yards but his effort although beating the diving Smith was just wide of the left-hand post and meant the game finished with both sides taking a point.

Hard to say who was the happier of the two camps and in fact the general consensus all-round was that 1 - 1 was a fair result and reflection of the game. Both sides were in agreement that the game could have gone either way.

For Park View this was their fourth League game in a row without a win. But there's also only one defeat in that run and this was a much improved better performance than the defeat last Saturday against Newcastle University.

TEAM : 1. Davy Carter 2. Niall Armstrong 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Carter Bell 5. Alex Clark 6. Markus Giefalk 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Ben Gallagher (c) 9. Zac Boddy 10. Frankie Young 11. Reyhan Grimaud

SUBS : 12. Lewis Stephenson (Not Used) 13. Will Dryden (Not Used) 14. Lewis Marshall (for Boddy 77 mins) 15. Bobby Gough (Not Used) 16. Nathan Conroy (Not Used)

SCORER : Mallinson 42 PLAYER of the MATCH : Alex Clark