Park View Progress Stalled By Tough Lawyers

Ben Gallagher

by Jeff King

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 28th March 2026 Park View AFC 1 v 1 Tow Law Town

When these two sides met back in November 2025 at The Riverside, Park View were 3-0 up at half-time and Tow Law were down to 10 men when torrential rain forced an abandonment.

Since then The Lawyers have made many changes and although coming into the game they were still in 19th place their results since ex-Crook Town boss Matty Pattison took over have been much improved.

They still needed points to be safe from any possible relegation issues but their form and make-up including wins over Yarm & Eaglescliffe and FC Hartlepool were out of context to their league placing.

Park View who had gone fourth in the table after a thrilling 3-2 midweek win at Darlington Town knew it was going to be a tough challenge and so, in the end it proved.

With Frankie Young out with a hamstring injury Ben Gallagher was restored to the starting XI and Frankie's brother Brandon returning from injury was named on a short-handed four man bench.

The game kicked off in bright sunny but very breezy conditions but the football in the first five minutes failed to match the conditions. However that changed in that fifth minute as Park View opened the scoring in their first real attack.

Ellis Wymer the man sent-off for Tow Law in the abandoned fixture clearing a ball long from defence. Jamie Frizzel getting up well to power a header back into the centre of the Tow Law half. The ball bouncing high on a dry surface.

Niall Armstrong was first to the loose ball and flicked a header on superbly for Zac Boddy to race on to. Boddy's pace took him away from his marker before he fired in a composed right foot finish from the edge of the box.

Lawyers keeper Tom Orton may look at it afterwards and think he may have done better but the shot slight deceived him and he could only help it on it's way in to the net. 16-year-old Boddy registering his 3rd league goal.

No. 9 Zac Boddy Celebrates The Opener With Armstrong And Gallagher

A great start for the promotion seeking home side but they were rocked on 14 minutes when Tow Law drew level after a period of play where neither side had looked dangerous.

A hopeful ball forward by Liam Goldsborough went over the head of PV skipper Dylan Wilkinson and Dylan Robson behind his captain was slow to react and did not deal with the bounce of the ball.

James Hughes had come off his line but had left the clearance to Robson but the opportunistic Joe Bates nipped in between them all and prodded a high lob over them which dropped under the Park View bar into an empty net.

For much of the remainder of the half the football was poor as PV with the wind failed to take advantage of it and Tow Law struggled against it. Park View were trying to get the ball down and play but the conditions were tricky.

They did have a half penalty shout when Jacob Mallinson played a ball forward that Armstrong nodded into the box towards Boddy. Rhys Groves coming across with a robust challenge to fell Boddy although heading the ball.

Groves' header falling to Gallagher breaking into the box but Archie Small got in a good tackle and the ball ricocheted off Gallagher for a goal kick with the referee happy with Groves' challenge on Boddy.

Then the clouds rolled in to darken the proceedings and the hailstorms came rattling down as the weather turned almost as dull as the fayre on the pitch. A Mallinson ball forward was awkward for the Tow Law defence.

It found Armstrong who played it over the Lawyers defence but it was just too far in front of the unmarked Boddy who saw Orton come off his line quickly to claim the ball.

Park View won a throw level with the 18-yard box and Robson shaped up for a long delivery. He though instead threw it short to Armstrong who found Charlie Loveday in space just outside the box.

Loveday was alert to Boddy's quick dart across the box and cleverly lifted the ball over the Tow Law defence but once again Orton was smartly off his line to get to the ball before Park View's teenage No. 9.

Tow Law despite playing against the win finished the half the stronger and went very close to taking the lead when Groves came out of defence and played a long ball to the edge of the Park View box.

The respective skippers Wilkinson and Harvey Walsh battling for it with the ball breaking loose to Bradley Burns about 12-yards out. His first time right footer was on target but Hughes was equal to it making a good block with his legs.

The ball rebounded to the advancing Goldsborough who lashed his angled 14-yard drive just over the bar. It was the last chance of a keenly contested first half where neither side dominated and a level game was about right.

With the sun now shining again the visitors start to the second half matched the brightness of the day. Walsh winning a clash with Robson who played the ball straight into him.

Walsh advancing into the box before flashing a ball across the Park View box at pace that Bates could not get on the end of. Bates then narrowly failed to put The Lawyers in front with a great chance missed.

Burns' ball into the box bounced up invitingly and as Hughes came off his line and the ball dropped, Bates got in front of Wilkinson and headed over the advancing Hughes but the ball bounced agonisingly wide of the post.

A sustained period of pressure from Tow Law saw them eventually carve out a shooting chance for the lively Bates but his effort from outside the box in the end was well wide.

Two more Tow Law chances followed. Firstly a right wing cross from Goldsborough was only headed clear to the edge of the box by Reyhan Grimaud and fell to Bates who shot woefully wide with his left foot from a good position.

Then from a clearing Groves header firstly Harry Laviolette flicked on to Burns who played Walsh through into the box one-on-one with Hughes. The Park View stopper getting off his line quickly to make a great crucial blocking save.

Park View made their first change on 61 minutes with Stephen Siyanbola coming on for Boddy. Laviolette then won a corner for Tow Law on their left. Burns delivered and Wymer got up well at the back post but headed over.

After some scrappy play up front the ball did break to Bates who hit a left foot shot from distance that deflected off Wilkinson for a corner. Burns took it and Wymer headed it down dangerously finding Small inside the six-yard box.

But the ball fell to the left back's weaker right foot and he scuffed his close range effort from a great position well wide of the Park View goal. Lawyers failing to capitalise on their good opening to the half.

Park View gradually turning the game around and starting to look stronger brought Young on for Armstrong to play in the midfield with Mallinson going wide right.

Robson playing a delightful ball down the right to a rampaging Gallagher who's determined run took him into the box and to the byline. His cross reaching Siyanbola who laid it neatly back for Loveday.

From 8-yards out Loveday's shot slightly deceived Orton who somehow managed to stick out a leg and make a great instinctive reflex stop. Park View's last substitution saw Harry Laydon come on for Ollie Taylor.

Siyanbola then did brilliantly on the right taking a ball inside his own half down the right. He was tracked all the way by Small who made a crucial interception as Siyanbola tried to cross low to give Park View a corner.

Mallinson delivered deep into the centre of the box where Frizzel came onto the ball and powered a 10-yard downward header on target but it was straight at Orton who made a routine save.

Then a sweeping counter attack from a Tow Law corner saw Siyanbola fail to take advantage of a really good chance. Mallinson breaking down the left and into the visitors half before squaring to Gallagher in the middle of the pitch.

Gallagher on the run got his head up and found Siyanbola inside the box with a superb through ball. PV's top scorer with only Orton to beat. But he hesitated as he tried to get a clean strike with his stronger left foot.

It was just enough for Orton to come to meet him and as Siyanbola stabbed the ball at goal it lacked power and direction and Orton made a brave block to thwart the Park View striker.

It was Siyanbola again that missed Park View's last good chance as the game clock ticked down. Mallinson was fouled out wide on the right midway in the Tow Law half by Groves and took the free kick himself.

He delivered deep in the visitors box where Gallagher got up and flicked it forward. The ball dropping to Siyanbola about six-yards out but at an angle. He met it fiercely on the volley but his effort flew well wide.

Then with almost the last touch of the game The Lawyers almost snatched the win. It came from a long throw on the right from substitute Jamie Robbins that found another substitute Ben Cleland in the box.

He was only about six-yards out but got a firm header in on goal that flashed just wide of Hughes' left hand post. It was the last effort of a game where a draw in the end was probably the right result.

Both defences played well and were well organised for the majority of the 90 minutes. Chances were few and far between and neither side made enough of the ones they had.

Tow Law looked dangerous in the first fifteen minutes of the second half but did not make the most of their opportunities. From there it was Park View that dominated proceedings but similarly they also failed to take their chances.

A point a better result for the battling Lawyers and helped them in their battle of the bottom. For Park View it meant slipping down a place to fifth but still in the play-off positions.

Next up for Park View is the little matter of the 'Chester Derby' on Easter Saturday at The Riverside. Without doubt the biggest derby so far between the two fierce rivals from the same town.

TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Reyhan Grimaud 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Ollie Taylor 5. Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Dylan Robson 7. Niall Armstrong 8. Jacob Mallinson 9. Zac Boddy 10. Ben Gallagher 11. Charlie Loveday

SUBS : 12. Brandon Young (for Armstrong 70 mins) 14. Lewis Stephenson (Not Used) 15. Harry Laydon (for Taylor 78 mins) 16. Stephen Siyanbola (for Boddy 61 mins)

SCORER : Boddy (5)

PLAYER of the MATCH : Ben Gallagher