Park View Bounce Back In Style To Move On Up
Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Friday 2nd October 2026 Ryton & Crawcrook Albion 1 v 3 Park View AFC
Park View AFC went into Friday night's clash at the Old Haulage Stadium, Ryton looking to get back to winning ways. Last time out they had lost 2 - 0 at home to AFC Newbiggin and in the process lost their 4th place in the table.
They knew though if they could come away with a win against a tough experienced Northern League side they knew that they would move back up a place at least until the Saturday fixtures across the League were played.
Park View made three changes to the side that had lost that home game the previous Saturday. Welsh Under-17 international Trystan Hounsell returning from international duty to replace the injured Davy Carter in goal.
Isaac Anderson replaced Ollie Taylor in the back four and with Brandon Young unavailable Park View were delighted to welcome back skipper Ben Gallagher from injury.
The game kicked-off in drizzling rain and with a strong wind blowing down the Tyne Valley. A win that was firmly behind the home side in the first 45 minutes.
Whilst the early pressure came from Ryton it was largely without incident. A couple of early corners delivered by Callum Johnston not causing too much trouble with Alex Clark dominate in the PV heading clear.
The closest we came to a goal in the early going came from a slick move by Park View. Jacob Mallinson showing skill and awareness to find Charlie Loveday on the attack. Loveday switiching the ball wide to the overlapping Reyhan Grimaud.
His cross delivered at pace into the middle saw Ryton skipper George Hayton get to the ball in front of Nathan Conroy but his attempted clearance was sliced over his own bar. Anderson's left-footed inswinging corner was easily cleared.
Then Anderson from his left back position played a neat ball down the line to Mallinson who did well to release Conroy into the box in the inside left channel. Conroy with a good shooting chance but he was denied by Callum Corkhill.
Corkhill coming off his line to spread himself well and block Conroy's goal bound effort with his right boot and divert the chance away.
Ryton then began to get on top. Johnston testing Hounsell with a good cross that the young keeper claimed well. Then from a long Corkhill clearance Louis Anderson tried a snapshot from 30-yards but Hounsell was down saving easily.
Right back Jordan Plunkett was prominent in attack for the home side. His long throw coming back to him and he did well to win a corner off Anderson. Johnston delivered into the six-yard box but Hounsell palmed the ball away.
Then Plunkett played a ball inside to Anderson who spotted Hounsell off his line and tried to lift the ball over him but his effort went too wide and too high as the wind took hold.
Another long Plunkett throw saw Clark head out for a corner. Again Johnston delivered and the ball dropped dangerously in the Park View area. The visiting defence only able to scramble the ball to the edge of the box.
It was picked up by Keros Lizinde who looked to have a good sight of goal but he could only flash his left-foot effort from about 16-yards out wide of the Park View post.
Up to the other end and Mallinson played a lovely ball over the top for Niall Armstrong to run onto. The striker trying his luck from just outside the box. But Glenn Caygill got a block on the effort and deflected it wide.
Anderson delivered and this time found his target. Clark on the six-yard line got a header on target but it lacked a bit of power and allowed Corkhill to make a smart reflex save to keep it out.
This was Park View's best period of the game and it was no surprise to see them take the lead on 29 minutes. Mallinson's ball into Loveday's feet saw PV's top scorer in dangerous terrority inside the Ryton box.
Loveday drifting slightly wide and pulling Corkhill and his defenders with him. Loveday then produced astonishing vision to back-heel the ball into the path of Conroy some eight yards in front of a wide open goal.
Conroy completing, albeit with a scuffed shot that was almost disasterously mishit, the job as the ball rolled into the bottom corner of the net to open the scoring on the night.
Ryton tried to reply with a curled ball from Joseph Grove-Forbes that freed Lizinde into the box. But his finish lacked composure and accuracy as he smashed well wide of the post without troubling Hounsell.
Gallagher then produced a moment of real quality as he let a ball from Dylan Robson run across his body before turning sharply to open up the pitch. Gallagher picking out the marauding Armstrong with a great ball over the top.
Armstrong in front of the Ryton defence controlled and fired well from 14-yards out. Once again though Corkhill was equal to the good effort and dived well to his right to make a great parry turning the ball around the post for a corner.
Mallinson delivered superby deep to the back post and Robson came flying in to meet the ball with a full bodied volley from close range. The ball flew past a static Corkhill but unluckily for Park View came crashing back off the post.
Then from another right-wing cross from Grimaud the ball popped up and Mallinson tried an acrobatic overhead kick from the edge of the box that was only inches over the box.
It was an entertaining open game at this stage with both sides pushing hard. Johnston the next to go close. His right foot effort from 22-yards seeing Hounsell have to back pedal to tip over the bar to deny Ryton a leveller.
Johnston delivered the corner and Caygill got up well and from a good position in the centre of the box head goalwards. But the direction was just off and the ball went wide of the post.
On 40 minutes Park View tore Ryton apart with a superb flowing move that resulted in Conroy doubling his tally on the night and giving Park View a 2 - 0 lead.
Robson played a ball up to Mallinson on the half-way line who turned away from his markers well and attacked the heart of the Ryton defence. With most expecting Mallinson to go left he went in the opposite direction.
Mallinson threading a superb ball through the Ryton defence for the overlapping Grimaud who never broke stride as he met the ball first time and fired it into the Ryton box.
Conroy timing his run perfectly to get across defenders and side-foot the ball home with a brilliant first time finish past a helpless Corkhill with his right foot from 8-yards out. A brilliantly crafted goal from Park View.
Again Ryton tried to respond. Clark adjudging to have fouled Lizinde just outside the box. Hounsell limed his wall up well to face Johnston's free kick that he curled around the wall but also well wide of Hounsell's left-hand post.
A final Ryton attack of the half on the stroke of the half-time whistle saw Albe Fletcher swing a dangerous ball right under Hounsell's cross bar. The big keeper taking it well above his head when right on his goal line.
There were one or two enquiries from the home side that that ball may have crossed the line but these were waved away by the referee who blew for half-time almost immediately with Park View two goals to the good.
The response for the second half by the home side was to make a triple substitution as the sides lined up to kick off. Fletcher, Rhys Hutchinson and Groves-Forbes coming off.
Ryton boss Nathan Beckham sending on Louis Calvert, Scott Oldfield and Sam Davison on to replace them in a bid to freshen things up and turn the game around.
Park View though were looking increasingly confident about the outcome. Two goals to the good and with the wind now at their backs you could sense that Park View were in no mood to let Ryton back in to the game.
Davison was involved almost immediately for Ryton. He had a shooting chance from just outside the box but his effort was too close to Hounsell who dropped on the ball gratefully to make an easy save.
Park View with Gallagher and in particular Frankie Young keeping things neat and tidy in midfield and breaking up play well so often then created the next opportunity. Young's pass to Armstrong on the left seeing a corner won.
Mallinson swung it in but the delivery was met by a great punch out to the left flank by Corkhill. Anderson turned the ball back into the centre and from 22-yards out Robson flashed a volley wide of the target.
Loveday and Mallinson not for the first time on the night combined brilliantly on the left hand side to free Armstrong. The striker showing good awareness of what was around him laid a lovely ball inside to the box to Gallagher.
Gallagher burst on to the chance and struck his shot really well only to see it deflect off Oldfield and almost wrong-foot Corkhill who did really well to chance direction and push the ball at full stretch away in fine style.
Just after the hour mark Ryton so nearly got back into the game. A brilliant cross from the right saw Calvert get in front of Hounsell and glance a back header over the keeper which flew inches over the bar,
It was a chance Ryton needed to have taken as on 66 minutes they went down 3 - 0 as Park View all but sealed the game. Clark played a long diagonal ball into the heart of the Ryton defence.
Corkhill came rushing off his line and out his box but got tangled up with Caygill and Hayton. Armstrong nipping in between them all and taking advantage of the mix-up to come away with the ball.
The PV striker then having the relatively simple task of putting the ball into the empty net from the edge of the box which he did showing great composure to register his 5th league goal of the season.
Ryton to the credit kept going but Park View's defence stood strong and solid and Young swept up and kept things tidy in front of them with some great interceptions and clearing passes.
When Ryton did create anything they were guilty of some very poor finishing inside the final third. An example when Oldfield put in a decent cross from the left that fell to Davison he almost put his shot into orbit rather than on goal.
The home side did keep plugging away and a brilliant cross from another substitute Ethan Bewley saw Mallinson produce an excellent brave clearing header under pressure from Anderson.
Calvert then found Anderson inside the box who drove in a low cross shot that forced Hounsell into great reflex save. From the resultant corner a scramble ensued that saw Clark clear the ball from virtually on his own line.
But it was Park View who went the closest to the next goal. Mallinson who was in great form again on the night cutting in from the left to unleash a feriocous daisy-cutter from the edge of the box that smacked unluckily off the post.
Then Gallagher made a brilliant burst through the middle attacking the Ryton box before sliding Loveday through on goal. Loveday driving his effort past Corkhill only to see it hit the cross bar and bounce over.
The game was all but up but Ryton had time to spoil Park View's night a little. Oldfield made ground from the left and then crashed in a wicked dipping 25-yarder past Hounsell to grab an injury time consolation for the home side.
It was though too little too late and Park View suffered no further scares as the referee's whistle went to end the game. A great night's work from the PV youngsters and a result that lifted them into 4th place in the table.
With AFC Newbiggin going down to a 4 - 0 home loss to Jarrow AFC on Saturday afternoon it means Park View will retain that position for the next week or so.
They have played more games than those around them. But as results have shown often it is better to have the points on the board rather than the games in hand.
Next up for Park View is a tough trip to Darlington Town in midweek for the next round of the Durham County FA Challenge Cup. If they can repeat this performance they should feel confident that they can get to the next round.
TEAM : 1. Trystan Hounsell 2. Reyhan Grimaud 3. Isaac Anderson 4. Frankie Young 5. Alex Clark 6. Dylan Robson 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Ben Gallagher (c) 9. Nathan Conroy 10. Niall Armstrong 11. Charlie Loveday
SUBS : 12. Ollie Taylor (for Anderson 89 mins) 13. Lewis Stephenson (for Robson 87 mins) 14. Bobby Gough (for Conroy 71 mins) 15. Lewis Marshall (for Gallagher 89 mins) 16. Sam Beattie (for Armstrong 89 mins)
SCORERS : Conroy 29, 40 Armstrong 66
PLAYER of the MATCH : Frankie Young
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