Superb Team Performance Sees Park View Bounce Back In Some Style

by Jeff King

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Wednesday 20th August 2025 Park View AFC 2 v 0 Sunderland RCA

After two successive League defeats Park View were looking to address the situation and get back to winning ways on Wednesday night at The Riverside. Their opponents Sunderland RCA providing a tough challenge to achieving that.

RCA had made a decent solid start and were sitting 11th in the table with only two losses in their first seven games. Park View having slipped to 6th following their successive losses.

The Micky's shook the pack up as best they could and thought. They were delighted to have Reyhan Grimaud back from injury and he slotted in at right back as one of three changes to the side that lost at home the previous Saturday.

After a fine second half performance all be it in a losing cause against Sunderland West End, Jacob Mallinson stepped up to the starting XI in place of Brad Hughes and Sam Beattie was chosen to lead the attack in place of Shay Pye.

Pye and Hughes dropping to the bench to give the Park View management duo options amongst their substitutes.

PV made a good start to the game and looked up to the task from the off. Pushing forward and putting together some neat passing. They perhaps should have been in front inside the first 5 minutes.

A Dylan Robson long throw-in from the right causing confusion in the box. Although Alex Clarke didn't get his head on it his presence distracted the away defence.

The ball bouncing up to the unmarked Brandon Young at the back post. Unfortunately Young couldn't keep his free header down and sent it over the bar from a great position when perhaps he should have done better.

With virtually their first meaningful attack of the game RCA thought they'd taken the lead with a spectacular strike from Dennis Knight. He'd tried to put a ball into the PV box but Dylan Wilkinson blocked it.

The ball ricocheted back to Knight who smashed it with ferocious power past James Hughes with his left foot from 20-yards. However, the goal was ruled out by the referee who adjudged that Knight had controlled the ball with his arm.

Then PV had a penalty claim waved away after a great run down the right by Grimaud was stopped illegally by Dom Moan as he looked the PV full-back looked as if he might be just inside the box.

A free-kick was the decision in a very dangerous spot on the byline just outside the area. Mallinson delivered and Jamie Frizzel got up well on the six-yard box to win the header but put it not far wide of the post.

PV again missed a glorious chance to open the scoring on 22 minutes with a terrific move. Charlie Loveday on the left controlling the ball well and then rolling it neatly into the path of the overlapping Frizzel.

He got into the box and delivered a peach of a cross to the back post where Beattie was only 4-yards out. He though got slightly under and behind his close-range header and it cannoned back to safety off the underside of the bar.

Mallinson was giving PV good width on the right and linking play well. His ball inside to the industrious Ben Gallagher found the busy midfielder in space. Gallagher creating space and hitting a great shot from the edge of the box.

The ball flew goal wards but RCA Skipper Tom Bexton bravely blocked the on-target effort to avoid his keeper, Karl Dryden having to make a save.

Another Robson long throw this time from the left almost saw a sneaky opener for the home side. This time Clark did get his head to it and Dryden had to scramble across his line to palm the ball away from the goal.

Park View defensively were looking really solid and not affording RCA any opportunities. From that sound solid platform they were able to launch excellent counter attacks which led to them taking the lead on 43 minutes.

It was a peach of a goal as well. Grimaud playing a good quick ball up to Beattie who rolled his marker well and laid the ball to Gallagher. Gallagher's first-time instinctive through ball was superb and Loveday raced away from the defence.

He had to go from just inside the RCA half but there was no catching him as he burst through. As Dryden came to meet him, Loveday feinted to go one way which Dryden fell for.

It created space on the keeper's left-hand side and from just inside the box Loveday showed great composure to use the space and clip the ball delightfully into the empty net.

It was a goal PV had deserved and finally invoked a shot and a reply from the visitor's in response. Chris Thompson trying to float a ball over the PV defence that Wilkinson headed clear.

The ball dropped to Charlie Berry about 22-yards out but his effort was wayward and flew well high over the bar.

The last action of the half saw Loveday almost get Grimaud in on goal as once again the defender was up in support of his attack. Grimaud was just about to pull the trigger when Moan slid in with a great tackle at the expense of a corner.

Mallinson again delivered and with Clark, Wilkinson and Frizzel all looking to get on the end of it, RCA were indebted to Alfie Hyde who made a great clearing header under pressure.

The referee's whistle brought an end to the first 45 minutes with Park View more than good value for lead which in truth could have been more. It was to be hoped they'd not live to regret the missed chances.

RCA withdrew both their full backs at the break and replaced them with Liam Appleby and Liam Caffry. Initially it made little difference as PV went back on the attack from the opening whistle to the second half.

Frizzel's throw-in on the left to Beattie saw the striker control it well and give it back to Frizzel. He clipped it over to Gallagher popping up on the left who drove to the by-line before putting in a superb dangerous cross that no-one got on the end of.

From there RCA possibly had their best ten minutes or so of the game as PV didn't get hold of the ball the way they had in the first half. The visitor's enjoying some possession and territorial advantage without creating anything.

It didn't take long though for Park View to re-assert their authority and they had another glorious chance to increase their lead when Mallinson skipped past his defender on right and crossed well to the back post.

Beattie peeled of his marker superbly but unfortunately from only 8-yards out couldn't connect with his header properly and sent it wide of the target from an excellent position.

Beattie though showed great character and fortitude as well as no little composure to bounce back from the set-back and find the net to double Park View's lead on 60 minutes.

He was on hand and alert when Dryden's poor goal kick was short. Beattie controlled the ball well and with only the keeper in front of him glided into th box and then rolled a great finish past Dryden for his first senior goal on his first senior start.

Park View were now in full flow and looking for another. Another good controlled run by Gallagher allowed him to release Grimaud once more on the overlap driving into the box.

Grimaud did well to get his head up and cut the ball back to the waiting Young who was 12-yards from goal. His shot was very well struck but it deflected off Bexton and flew just wide with Dryden well beaten.

More changes for the away side with Sam Spenceley and Berry being replaced by Taylor Richardson and former Park View Academy student Jackson Ward again failed to stem the PV tide.

Grimaud this time making good ground on the right before finding Mallinson who dodged round Appleby before delivering a cross into the middle that Dryden claimed well at the near post.

Then Robson revelling in his defensive midfield role won a ball well just inside his own half and switched the play left to find Loveday in space. The speedy wide man spotted another fine run by Gallagher and played the ball inside.

Gallagher finding space and purpose to get to within 20-yards of the opposition goal before unleashing a lovely right-foot effort that was on target but straight at Dryden who held it well.

With 12 minutes to go Park View replaced the tiring Beattie who had put in a great shift with Zac Boddy another emerging striker from the first-year and only 16-years-old.

RCA countered with their final substitution with Adam Thomas coming on for Thompson. But it was PV's Boddy who was almost the impact substitute on two quick fire moments inside the last ten minutes.

First of all he wriggled free of the defence in the inside left channel to create a shooting chance but couldn't pull his shot far enough across Dryden who got down to make a comfortable save.

Dryden though had to be at his very best seconds later when a delightful through ball from Loveday split the defence and sent Boddy through again. This time he went for the near post with the keeper plunging to his right to make a great one-handed save.

From the Mallinson corner it was the post that saved RCA from falling further behind. A beautiful delivery to the far post saw Frizzel ghost in behind every one but his first-time volley from inside the six-yard box smacked against the post.

RCA were reduced to ten-men for the last five minutes when Knight saw a straight red-card for an over the ball tackle that felled Robson. It looked like Knight was going for the ball but his follow through was deemed dangerous foul play and he was dismissed.

Park View made their second substitution of the game straight after with Mallinson being replaced by Shay Pye.

The game ended with one last lovely moment from the home time that deserved a third goal. Robson with a great header forward that was picked up by Boddy who turned well and found Loveday inside the area.

With the RCA defence standing off Park View's influential attacker showed great feet and ball control to give himself an opening and then curled a right-foot shot from 12-yards just past the far post.

Almost a great finish to round off a great win for an excellent all-round team effort when all who were on pitch put in great performances and several were in contention for man of the match.

Perhaps only keeper James Hughes wasn't in that equation as he didn't have a single shot on target, other than the disallowed early goal, to deal with. his back four dealing superbly with RCA's forward efforts.

The midfield trio of Robson holding, Young gliding and Gallagher buzzing all over were excellent and provided great support to the front-line of Mallinson, Beattie and Loveday who were a constant threat all night.

Even Boddy when he came on showed great promise and power almost getting on the scoresheet himself. It was a result and performance that allowed Park View to bounce back up to third in the table in these still early season stages.

It was also a timely morale and confidence boost for the squad as they look forward to FA Vase First Qualifying Round action at The Riverside this coming Saturday against Steeton AFC of the North West Counties League.

TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Reyhan Grimaud 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Dylan Robson 5. Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Alex Clark 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Ben Gallagher 9. Sam Beattie 10. Brandon Young 11. Charlie Loveday

SUBS : 12. Joe Sykes (not used) 13. Shay Pye (for Mallinson 86 minutes) 14. Frankie Young (not used) 15. Zac Boddy (for Beattie 78 minutes) 16. Brad Hughes (not used)

SCORERS : Loveday 43, Beattie 60 MAN of the MATCH : Ben Gallagher