Park View Edge 5-Goal Thriller To Continue Fine Recent Run
Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 19th September 2026 Park View AFC 3 v 2 Stokesley Sports Club
A first ever historic clash between these two sides in the Ebac Northern League saw a five-goal thriller played out. By the end of a pulsating 90 minutes it was the higher placed home side that ran out the victors.
The away side having scant consolation of being in the game for long periods but unable to find that bit extra that might have eased their issues at the wrong end of the table.
It was a third consecutive home league game for Park View and they have really taken advantage of their own familiar surroundings to take a third consecutive victory that keeps them riding high in the table.
They were forced to make one change and a re-shuffle of their line-up following Wednesday's win over Grangetown. Jamie Frizzel missing through a fractured elbow sustained in his unfortunate red card challenge during that game.
It meant Markus Geifalk dropping back into defence to cover and Niall Armstrong coming into the starting XI for Frizzel. That dropped Charlie Loveday back just behind the front two of Nathan Conroy and Armstrong.
Park View thought they had made a sensational start to the game inside the first two minutes. Alex Clark staying up after a Reyhan Grimaud long throw getting on the end of Brandon Young's cute chip over the defence.
His header saw Thomas Beeforth get both hands to it but he was unable to stop the ball dropping into the net. Fortunately for Beeforth and Stokesley Clark had strayed offside and the goal was rightly ruled out.
Stokesley responded winning the first corner of the game. Aiden Breeze finding Callum Mallia inside the box who was denied a shooting chance by a great Clark challenge. The resulting corner easily cleared by the Park View defence.
The away side were looking the livlier early on as Park View struggled to get into their stride. James O'Brien's determined run down the left earning him a chance to launch a long throw into the Park View box.
The Park View defence stood firm and cleared the ball but only to Michael Bulmer 20-yards from goal. But Bulmer's effort lacked power and was easily saved by Trystan Hounsell in the Park View goal.
PV eventually got going with a lovely move started by skipper Ben Gallagher. He found Young who played a great ball out right to Grimaud. He in turn played an even better ball through to put Jacob Mallinson inside the visiting box.
Mallinson perhaps should have pulled the trigger although the angle was tight. Instead he tried to find a teammate in the middle of the area but Patrick McGowran did well to clear for Stokesley.
Back came Stokesley. Beeforth's long clearance was flicked on by Mallia into the path of Bulmer who almost got in but was denied by a good tackle from Grimaud at the expense of a corner.
Bulmer took the kick and swung it in very dangerously. The ball evading everyone as it floated across and actually hit the top of the crossbar before bouncing over.
In their next attack the visitor's perhaps should have taken the lead. It came from an O'Brien free kick wide left. His delivery was excellent and Cole Stephenson got in behind the PV defence at the back post.
Unfortunately for Stokesley despite being at almost point blank range inside the six-yard box the angle was slightly against him and he could only direct his header into the side netting. A let off for Park View.
Again PV were struggling to get any cohesive purchase on their football battling against a strong wind and not able to at times fully clear their lines. An example saw a ball fall to Mallia on the edge of the box and he drove a shot just wide.
Then almost a disaster for the home side. Grimaud put his keeper Hounsell under pressure with a difficult back pass. Hounsell just outside his box made a poor clearance.
The ball fell to Stokesley's top scorer Carl Williams an experienced prolific striker at this level and he went for the first time chip over Hounsell to try and find the empty net. But the young keeper responded well catching the effort safely.
When Park View did push Stokesley were solid and always likely to spring from defence into attack. PV being indebted to Carter Bell who got back superbly to deny Bulmer a run on goal after Williams looked to have put him through.
A lovely move from PV saw Clark play a good ball from the bacl to find Mallinson. He picked out Bell on the left who drove forward before playing the ball inside to Gallagher.
The PV skipper taking the ball well into his stride and controlling the ball before striking a good 20-yard effort but it was straight at Beeforth who was able to gather the ball in comfortably.
Then a great run by Loveday saw him upended 25-yards from goal in a central position. Mallinson stepped up but his free-kick struck the wall. The ball rebounding to Young who from 20-yards drove his effort just wide of the post.
Eventually on 34 minutes the deadlock was broken and the visitor's took the lead. It was though a calamatous goal from Park View's point of view with mistakes that Stokesley cashed in on.
Young losing the ball poorly in centre midfield to Brsdley Wheatley who opened up the PV defence with a pass to Stephenson. He then slid the ball inside the PV box to Mallia.
Mallia was able to easily step past Clark's poor attempted tackle before driving in a low shot that looked like it took an unfortunate deflection of Grimaud attempting to block. The ball bouncing up and over Hounsell at his near post.
The goalkeeper may have felt that he should have done better but the deflection diverted the ball just enough to give Stokesley a lead they probably just about deserved.
It was the moment that perhaps shook Park View out of their malise as they responded really well almost immediately. Loveday finding Grimaud in space on driving the inside right channel.
Grimaud finding Mallinson further wide who did brilliantly to beat O'Brien on the byline and then cross dangerously to the back post towards Conroy. Breeze though got their first and made a great clearing iinterception.
It was though a temporary reprieve for Stokesley who found themselves clawed back to level terms as Park View grabbed an excellent equaliser on 38 minutes with a superb move.
Carter Bell started it with a neat ball to Loveday in the centre of the pitch. Loveday playing it to Armstrong and continuing his run. Armstrong found Bell inside the D and his delightful first time flick fed the decisive run of Loveday.
Without breaking stride Park View's top scorer calmly stroked the ball with his right foot from 12-yards out past the despairing dive of Beeforth to register his 8th league goal of the season and bring his side level.
Three minutes later it was Loveday again who turned the game around and put Park View into the lead. He was fouled about 25-yards out in a central position and got up to take the free-kick himself.
It was a perfect execution as he lifted his left-foot effort up and over the wall. The ball dipping perfectly and bouncing over the dive of Beeforth to nestle into the left-hand corner of the net. Loveday's second of the afternoon.
The goals transformed Park View and the game. Grimaud playing a great one-two with Mallinson on the right before the advancing defender played in Young who won a corner off O'Brien.
Mallinson delivered but it came to nothing. However in the next attack Mallinson again on the right pulled a great ball back to Armstrong whose first time effort was deflected not far wide of Wheatley for another corner.
From the opposite side Mallinson swung in a dangerous ball to the back post and Clark was unlucky not to get a decisive touch on the delivery as he stretched fully inside the six-yard box.
Park View were now in the groove. A determined piece of play by Gallagher seeing him win a ball well before he gave it to Loveday. Loveday playing it wide left to Armstrong.
The striker cut in well from that position and drove hard and low to the right hand post only to see Beeforth dive across to palm the ball away in final style to keep the effort out.
The final attack of the half again saw Loveday upended in front of goal outside the box. This time it was Conroy who took the kick but he only succeeded in smashing it well over the bar.
It brought an end to a curious first half. Park View had not been at their best and deservedly went behind with a badly conceded goal. But it seemed to spark them into life and Loveday and his teammates turned the game around.
As the teams left the field at the half the game was certainly set up for an interesting second 45 minutes. And that 45 minutes started with Stokesley making the brighter start with the game very much in the balance.
A long clearance from McGowran from defence reached Williams in the inside right position. He burst into the box and hit a low angled cross-shot that saw Hounsell dive fully to his right and plam away in great style.
With the side's turning round in the second half to face different conditions in the wind both took a while to adapt. Park View making an earlish substitution with Ollie Taylor coming on for Geifalk.
This meant a switch to a back four with Grimaud joining Clark as the two centre backs and Taylor slotting in at right back and Bell dropping back slightly to a more orthodox left back position.
It was Park View that began to use the wind effectively and start to exert pressure on the Stokesley defence. Gallagher pressing well to win a ball in midfield and then sending a 22-yard left rocket just wide of the post.
Grimaud from his new position switched a superb ball from deep to find Armstrong wide on the flank. Armstrong putting in a great cross that found Mallinson in space in the box with a shooting opportunity.
Mallinson being really unlucky to see his goal bound shot deflect off O'Brien and deflect just over the bar. Mallinson took the corner aiming for Clark but Stuart Brown the Stokesley skipper got a convincing clearing header to the ball.
Park View almost broke through midway through the half. Taylor coming forward well on the right and finding the creative Mallinson whose right wing cross picked out Loveday in the box.
Loveday steading himself gave himself room for a crisp 16-yarder well hit but even better saved with his feet by the alert agile Beeforth to keep his side in the game.
Beeforth did even better moments later to deny Conroy a goal. A brilliant move by Park View started by Clark to Loveday who opened up the right side with a lovely ball to Taylor.
Taylor playing a great one-two with Mallinson and then crossing low to find Conroy just inside the box. Conroy showing good control then hitting a great effort that Beeforth did brilliantly to block.
Move good football resulted in Bell being unlucky not to make it 3 - 1. Gallagher finding him on the left and he moved inside before unleashing a left-foot thunderbolt from fully 25-yards that crashed back off the underside of the bar.
However the pressure told on 71 minutes. Park View moved the ball smartly from right to the middle to find Loveday who moved towards the box before sliding the ball through to Bell breaking into the box.
Without hesitating Bell ran on to the ball and with his left foot from 12 yards rifled the ball past Beeforth. Stokesley did raise objections as there was a second ball on the pitch but both sides only reacted to the ball that was in play.
Park View now looked comfortable but such is their way they did not settle for a two-goal lead and went looking for another. It was almost their downfall as Stokesley pulled a goal back on 79 minutes.
Park View were caught upfield and Breeze picking the ball up in the right back position was able to run fully 50 yards uncontested down the flank before firing in a low cross.
Brandon Young tried to intercept but could only divert the ball unluckily straight into the path of Williams who finished clinicaly from 8-yards out. His 7th league goal of the season.
But undeterred Park View continued on the front foot. Mallinson and Taylor linking up well on the right enabled Taylor once again to put a good ball into the box to find Conroy.
Not for the first time in the afternoon though Conroy's on-target effort from the edge was well saved by the diving Beeforth. Then Mallinson really should have sealed the deal for Park View inside the last ten minutes.
Conroy showing good hold-up play and slipping the ball to the wide man who from only six yards out hit his shot not only past Beeforth but also the far post to waste an excellent opportunity.
Substitute Bobby Gough on for Armstrong made a brilliant run that opened up the Stokesley defence but the chance looked to have been lost as he delayed his pass. However Loveday was on hand to retrieve the situation.
Loveday doing well to beat a couple of defenders and then lay the ball back to Conroy but the striker perhaps lacking a bit of confidence and trying to hard snatched at the chance and fired over.
Gough was involved in the last significant moment of the game as time ticked down. Mallinson doing well once again to create the chance with a ball into the box. Gough hit a lovely snap-shot.
Unfortunately though Beeforth once again showed great athleticism and agility and made a brilliant reflex save to keep his side in the game. But there was not sufficient time for Stokesley to take advantage.
The referee's whistle going for the final time to end a game that could have gone either way. In the end it went to Park View who as a result move to 5th in the table although they have played more games than those around them.
But often points on the board can be better than games in hand. For Stokesley they continue to struggle in the Northern League but look solid and probably have enough to gain a solid foothold in the division.
TEAM : 1. Trystan Hounsell 2. Reyhan Grimaud 3. Carter Bell 4. Markus Geifalk 5. Alex Clark 6. Brandon Young 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Ben Gallagher (c) 9. Nathan Conroy 10. Niall Armstrong 11. Charlie Loveday
SUBS : 12. Lewis Stephenson (for Conroy 86 mins) 13. Davy Carter (Not Used) 14. Ollie Taylor (for Geifalk 56 mins) 15. Frankie Young (for Gallagher 80 mins) 16. Bobby Gough (for Armstrong 78 mins)
SCORERS : Loveday 38, 41 Bell 71 PLAYER of the MATCH : Reyhan Grimaud
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