Last Minute Charlie Seals Lawyers Fate

by Jeff King

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 9th August 2025 Tow Law Town 0 v 2 Park View AFC

The Park View bandwagon was on the road again for the fourth time this season so far. It rolled into Tow Law on an unbeaten run and rolled out again 90 minutes later with 3 more points picked up and stored in the records.

A very wise person once said 'if it ain't broke then don't fix it.' That was still acting Head Coach Micky Barron's philosophy as for the fourth time in a row he named an unchanged side.

The substitute's bench was also unruffled for the third game in a row as Park View went into the game in second place in the table after an excellent start to the season.

Their opponents and hosts Tow Law are one of the oldest most historic sides in the Northern League and were facing up to live once again after relegation from Division 1 in the previous campaign.

The wind was blowing strong, the pitch was very warm but bright sunshine greeted the team's as they completed the pre-game courtesy requirements and then launched into the battle for crucial league points.

The conditions certainly played a big part throughout the 90 minutes but particularly early on as both sides struggled to get any real flow or purpose into their games.

Park View were the more progressive of the two sides but even then it took a full seven minutes before they eventually gave us the first shot of the game and first meaningful incident.

Brandon Young playing a pass wide left to Charlie Loveday who cut inside and from an angle drove the ball low. James Rutherford got down to parry the ball but at first not collect it cleanly.

However he clearly had a hand on the ball as Nathan Conroy knocked it free and placed it into the empty net from close range. The referee rightly ruling out the goal for the infringement.

Stephen Siyanbola then won the game's first corner for PV after Kenny Shevels stopped his surge forward.

Brad Hughes' corner was cleared and picked up by Brandon Young who delivered a cross to the back post that was just too high for the unmarked Jamie Frizzel.

The Lawyers first effort on goal came from a long throw-in that wasn't cleared fully by Park View and the home side's skipper picked up the loose ball and tried his luck from fully 25 yards but the effort was too high and too wide.

On 21 minutes Siyanbola won another corner off Shevels. This time Hughes played it short to Dylan Robson's whose ball in was headed out centrally. Young picking up and trying a shot that Siyanbola diverted wide of the post with his head.

Enterprising play by Kory Whitfield for the home side almost saw him thread a great pass through to find Sol Tones. James Hughes though was alive to the danger and came smartly off his line to collect the ball first.

The Park View defence was already looking solid and certainly did their job on 25 minutes. Firstly skipper Dylan Wilkinson did well to come across and block a dangerous run and cross by Tones at the expense of a corner.

Wilkinson was then first to Lawyers skipper Lewis Shorrock's kick to head clear. Norton Tomlinson put the ball back into the box and in quick succession first Whitfield and then Charlie Herron had shots blocked by alert Park View defending.

Just before the half-hour mark Loveday played a neat 1-2 with Young and then burst into the box before rifling in a right foot that Rutherford got down smartly to push away.

On 30 minutes Park View lost their centre forward Siyanbola. Frizzel sliding a ball into the left channel for the striker to run onto. The pass was a little too far forward and Siyanbola stretching went down holding his leg with no-one near him.

After lengthy treatment he was taken to the touchline where in pain he watched on as his side almost took the lead. Loveday coming inside from the left sliding a pass into the onrushing Robson's path and he flashed a 22-yard drive narrowly wide.

With Siyanbola unable to continue Park View were forced into a reshuffle. Alex Clark coming on to play centre back alongside Wilkinson. It meant Reyhan Grimaud switching to right back. Ben Gallagher moving to right attack and Conroy moving to the centre forward role.

Robson was a little unfortunate to go into the referee's notebook for a challenge in midfield that earned him a yellow card as once again the game got scrappy with the wind swirling the ball about.

What football that was being played was mainly by Park View who did have the wind at their backs in the first 45 minutes. Lovely interchange play between Gallagher and Conroy saw a crossing chance for the former.

His delivery was just too high for Loveday but Young was on hand to pickup the loose ball and then win a corner off Tomlinson. Hughes delivered to the near post where Rutherford spilled the ball right to the feet of Conroy.

Unfortunately the ball came at Park View's top scorer a little too quickly and he could only poke it just wide from a promising position. It was the last action of a first-half stalemate.

Park View and in particular their defence were expecting to be put under greater pressure from the home side who now had the wind at their backs. Indeed Tow Law had the first opportunity of the second half.

It came when Gallagher fouled Will Bennett 25-yards from goal. The Lawyers centre back Joe Alderson lined up the effort and curled a good effort with his left foot just over the Park View bar although Hughes looked to have it covered.

Loveday looked the most likely player for Park View to open up the home defence and another jinking run inside from the left created a gap. But he held off shooting and laid it into the path of Brad Hughes who shot was wide of the near post.

Then a great inside pass from Bennett almost got the marauding Tomlinson in on goal but Hughes was off his line quickly again and as Tomlinson took a heavy touch Hughes was able to gather before The Lawyers full back recovered.

Loveday then held a ball up well on the left until Frizzel over lapped and delivered a deep cross that went over all heads and fell to Gallagher at the back post. The wide man though drilled his effort from an angle into the side-netting.

The wind didn't seem to be much of an advantage to the home side who were trying to press but were getting little change out of Park View defence imperiously led by Captain Wilkinson.

When they did get some space a speculative to say the least 35-yard effort from left back Ellis Wymer flew well wide of the Park View goal with Hughes untroubled.

On 62 minutes PV perhaps should have taken the lead and Conroy perhaps should have added to the five league goals he already has. A Robson long throw from the left was flicked on by Clark and found Conroy about 8-yards out.

He did well initially to control the ball but then his intended lob over a beaten Rutherford was just too high and landed on the roof of the net. Another Robson long throw almost brought Park View reward.

This one landed to Gallagher just outside the box and he drove it hard and on target only to see it blocked. The rebound fell to Loveday who got his shot through a crowded area but Rutherford saw enough of it to smother the effort.

The home side's skipper Shorrock was shown a yellow card as he tripped Grimaud who was in full flow coming down the right. Brad Hughes free kick was cleared well by Alderson who launched Tomlinson free on the right.

The full back took the ball deep into the Park View box before pulling it back to Herron at the edge who curled a first time effort just over the PV bar with Hughes watching it to safety all the way.

Park View made their second substitution on 77 minutes with Harvey Lawrence replacing Gallagher on the right hand side of the attack. His impact was immediate as he had a big hand in the opening goal for the visitor's.

Grimaud finding Lawrence in space on the right and the sub showed good pace to get past Wymer and then drill a really good low cross into the six-yard box. Rutherford doing well at full stretch to get in front of Conroy.

However, he only pushed the ball straight to Robson who from about 10-yards came onto the ball and smashed it goal wards. Rutherford on the ground got a hand to the shot but couldn't prevent it going over the line to put PV ahead.

A goal that hadn't looked likely as both sides in truth were cancelling each other out but on the balance of possession it perhaps wasn't a surprise that if the deadlock was going to be broken then it was going to be PV that did it.

The goal really opened the last ten minutes as Tow Law threw bodies on to the pitch sending players and balls forward in numbers but Park View were standing firm and hitting The Lawyers hard on the break.

Clark showed great composure and awareness to step in and win a ball at the back before coming forward and slipping a delightful ball throw the home defence for Loveday to sprint onto and into the box.

Unfortunately with only Rutherford to beat he spurned the chance with a left foot cross shot that he pulled well wide of the home keeper's far post. On 87 minutes Alderson of The Lawyers performed heroics to keep his side in the game.

James Hughes' long clearance from the PV box was brilliantly flicked on by Conroy to once again free Loveday. This time the speedy tricky forward rounded Rutherford and sent his shot towards an open net.

But Alderson did superbly to block the effort almost from his own goal line and then even better to repeat the dose as he somehow got his body in the way to stop Conroy's follow-up from doubling Park View's lead.

The killer goal though did finally arrive right on the 90-minute mark. This time it came from a classic lightning counter attack and perhaps the best quality move of the game.

Grimaud winning a block tackle on the edge of his box and then finding Brad Hughes with a neat pass. The former Tow Law player looked up and saw a two-on-on situation playing a delightful ball down the right to the breaking Conroy.

He controlled it well forcing Shevels to come across to try and deal with the danger. Conroy though waited for the chance and then weighted a great curling ball to give Loveday a one-on-one opportunity with Rutherford.

This time Loveday made no mistake as he got to the ball quickly and dinked it delicately past the onrushing Rutherford into the empty net and seal three more points on the road for his side.

Three points that took Park View's tally to 13 from 5 games and they were only denied going top of the table by a late Seaham Red Star comeback against Redcar Town that saw Star grab a dramatic equaliser.

It meant the first points of the season dropped by Seaham but they currently have a one-goal better difference than Park View so just lead the Division after 5 games played.

Next up for Park View is yet another away day tough task. They leave Durham and will travel down the A19 on Wednesday night to face FC Hartlepool. FC are always a strong side on their own patch but PV will travel in form and with confidence.

TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Ben Gallagher 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Brad Hughes 5. Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Reyhan Grimaud 7. Nathan Conroy 8. Dylan Robson 9. Stephen Siyanbola 10. Brandon Young 11. Charlie Loveday SUBS : 12. Alex Clark (for Siyanbola 34 minutes) 13. Riley Everett (not used) 14. Harvey Lawrence (for Gallagher 77 minutes) 15. Matty Henderson (not used) 16. Sam Beattie (not used)

GOAL SCORERS : Robson 78, Loveday 90

MAN of the MATCH : Dylan Wilkinson