Tough Game Ends With Spoils Shared

by Jeff King

Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Saturday 11th October 2025 Newcastle University 1 v 1 Park View AFC

Perhaps a game where both sides had shared 11 draws in 34 outings was always destined to end the way it did. Both sides playing a tight well organised system that showed how solid they are as units.

They are both sides that are often drilled on much better surfaces that they were afforded on Saturday as well. Both liking to get the ball down and pass it around. They were not given a lot of opportunity of that on a tricky surface.

Precious few chances were created in what in truth was a game that lacked real quality but no lack of endeavour nor commitment from both sides. The final outcome perhaps being a fair reflection of the day.

Park View were boosted by the return from injury of centre back Alex Clark to the starting XI allowing Dylan Robson to move into midfield alongside the Young boys Brandon and Frankie.

Nathan Conroy who had been named Man of the Match seven days earlier in the win over FC Hartlepool given the nod over Jacob Mallinson who dropped to the bench.

A bench boosted and looking strong with the return of Ben Gallagher, Matty Henderson and Sam Beattie alongside Mallinson and Joe Sykes who made up the five in reserve.

The game kicked off in bright sunshine with the pitch looking luscious and green. But appearances can often be deceptive and a well worn sand based surface made it quickly apparent that it wasn't going to yield flowing football.

It was a full six minutes before either side really got going although The Uni did open the brighter. Ryan Redford's ball to the right giving the advancing Ben Kirkman room to make ground and deliver a dangerous low cross.

But Reyhan Grimaud was aware to the danger and made a great clearance inside his six-yard box to thwart Tom Iverson's efforts to get there first and concede the first corner of the game.

R Redford took it and Jamie Frizzel headed it back out to him. He crossed too deeply to the far side of the pitch but it was picked up by Adam Pow who was tripped by Grimaud to give The Uni a free kick in a dangerous position.

However R Redford's delivery wasn't effective and as easily cleared by Dylan Wilkinson as Park View soaked up and dealt with the early pressure comfortably.

At the other end it was a Grimaud long throw that almost gave PV their first opening. Conroy controlling well inside the box but as he turned to face the goal Adam Redford got in a good tackle to concede another throw.

This time Robson hurled it long in towards the Home near post but their defence stood firm and cleared the ball without any danger to their goal.

However Brandon Young did well to win and retrieve the ball and lift it into The Uni box. Wilkinson still up from the throw-in flicked it on and it found Siyanbola who hit a shot from 10-yards out but saw it blocked by Caden Ragozinski.

Another Robson long throw minutes later led to a bout of head tennis by both teams in the box. B Young getting the final header towards goal where Siyanbola tried to get his foot to a high ball inside the six-yard box.

He only managed to connect with the stooping Ragozinski's head and earned a rather harsh yellow card for the incident when his only intention had been to try and get an effort in on goal.

The Young brothers then combined well in midfield with Frankie making a decisive tackle to win the ball and then find Brandon in space just outside the home box.

Brandon played a great ball left to Charlie Loveday who opened up the Uni defence with lovely trickery before firing in a low cross that saw Siyanbola just beaten to the ball inside the six-yard area by Stephen Pennington's clearance.

B Young again was prompting and probing for PV and combined well with Robson before finding Siyanbola free. The striker made room for an effort at goal but his 20-yard effort lacked power and direction and was well wide.

Then good play by B Young again set PV away with his fine ball to the left opening up Loveday who held the ball up well before releasing Frizzel on the overlap. Frizzel's cross was excellent with Siyanbola just failing to get to the ball.

Park View were now the better team and having the lion's share of possession but the pitch continued to make it difficult for them to build constructive moves and create chances.

Conroy though did manage to set-up a very promising situation for his side when he turned well to create a three on two situation of the visitor's. He advanced and found Siyanbola who in turn found Loveday.

It looked an excellent opportunity but the Uni defence streaked back, Loveday hesitated and was crowded out without being able to take the opportunity and the chance was lost although PV did win a corner off A Redford.

Conroy's delivery wasn't the best but when the ball wasn't cleared fully a scramble ensued inside the area with both sides battling for the ball. B Young, Siyanbola and Wilkinson all trying to create space but being blocked.

Eventually the Uni cleared their lines with Park View unable to carve out that gilt edged opportunity that they clearly craved. However on 41 minutes they should have done exactly that.

A superb Conroy flick after Clark had cleared a Uni attack saw Siyanbola away and with only one defender to beat. He also had Loveday on his left sprinting into space. An obvious pass sideways and Loveday would have been in.

But Siyanbola delayed and then tried to go it alone with Ragozinski dispossessing him at the edge of the box and clearing away what looked to have been a great opening for Park View.

The last action of a largely sterile half came at the opposite end as Newcastle broke from a Park View corner. The lively Jacob Milner from the right finding Pow just inside the PV area.

Grimaud doing well to get across and block his shot at the expense of a corner. R Redford took it and Pennington who had earlier been booked for a bad foul on Siyanbola headed it towards goal but James Hughes made a comfortable claim.

So, half-time came with plenty of application but little in the way of quality but that certainly changed as the second half opened in a much more positive vein.

Almost from the start the game opened up. Kirkman playing a great ball down the right releasing Milner behind Frizzel and suddenly he was in on goal. But Hughes came off his line superbly to block the goal bound effort.

The Uni paid the price of that miss as Park View went in front in bizarre circumstances on 48 minutes. An innocuous looking back pass to Paul Herborholtz just outside looked simple for the Newcastle goalkeeper.

Whether Herborholtz looked up taking his eye of the ball or whether it took an awkward bounce or bobble in a flash Siyanbola had the ball at his feet beyond the distraught keeper

From the edge of the box he had the simple task of placing the ball into the empty net as Herborholtz could only watch on in agony as his team fell behind in such dramatic fashion.

The Uni responded with a neat move on the left where Pow set up his skipper A Redford for a run into the box but just as he was about to pull the trigger Wilkinson came across won the ball and cleared the danger.

Park View were not sitting back at first on their lead and almost profited from another speculative moment. This time Conroy fired in an effort from fully 25-yards out.

It didn't seem to have a lot of power but Herborholtz perhaps concious of what had happened for the goal decided to go down to his right and puch it around the post with his outstretched right hand. The corner gained coming to nothing.

Park View made two changes with Mallinson and Gallagher coming on for Conroy and a clearly injured Clark. Mallinson immediately getting involved by taking a PV free kick midway inside the Uni half.

He chipped the ball to the back post looking for runners but Kirkman headed it out of the box only to see it drop to Loveday who from 22-yards out flashed a volley just past the post to his left.

Mallinson was then penalised for a foul on Pennington on the Uni left just inside the PV half. R Redford took the kick floating it into a dangerous area inside the Park View area. Hughes coming off his line to bravely punch the ball to safety.

Newcastle though had become the aggressor in the game and levelled the contest on 79 minutes with a goal that from their point of view was well worked but from a Park View point of view could have been better defended.

Bustling substitute striker Kane Morris had caused a few problems since coming on about ten minutes or so previously. This time he turned up on the right wing held Frizzel off well and then delivered an inviting cross into the box.

R Redford timed is run perfectly getting away from the PV midfielders and in between the defenders to head firmly down towards Hughes' left-hand post. The PV keeper did get both hands to the ball but couldn't prevent it going in.

An equaliser and now with a shade over ten minutes to play it was game on and suddenly PV were on the back foot. Another substitute Jos Storr winning a corner off Frizzel.

A Redford took it delivering it dangerously. The ball fell to another substitute Theo Wong who crashed it on the half volley towards goal but Skipper Wilkinson bravely got his header to the effort and diverted it over the bar.

With five minutes to go Beattie replaced Loveday and watched as a R Redford cross from the right was met by a firm header by Pow but it was straight at Hughes who held it easily.

B Hughes after another great shift in midfield where he constantly tried to push Park View forward was forced off the field due to an injury and was replaced by Matty Henderson.

An A Redford long throw caused confusion in the visitor's defence and fell to Pow in the centre of the box. But he was unable to keep the bouncing ball down and hooked it over the bar from a good position about 12-yards out.

The game drifted into injury time with Park View having the last meaningful attack. Hughes taking a quick goal kick to Grimaud on the right. He slid the ball down the touch-line to find Gallagher sprinting away.

Gallagher doing well to get wide into a crossing position where he delivered a low ball that A Redford diverted for a corner. Mallinson took it but it was headed well clear into the middle of the pitch and the referee blew for full-time.

A point and a goal a-piece for both sides. Both had periods when they were on top and both might claim that they had the better of the game. But in truth both sides in reality cancelled each other out in the end analysis.

TEAM : 1. James Hughes 2. Reyhan Grimaud 3. Jamie Frizzel 4. Frankie Young 5. Dylan Wilkinson (c) 6. Alex Clark 7. Nathan Conroy 8. Dylan Robson 9. Stephen Siyanbola 10. Brandon Young 11. Charlie Loveday

SUBS : 12. Ben Gallagher (for Clark 65 minutes) 14. Jacob Mallinson (for Conroy 61 minutes) 15. Sam Beattie (for Loveday 85 minutes) 16. Matty Henderson (for B Young 89 minutes) 17. Joe Sykes (Not Used)

GOAL SCORER : Siyanbola 48 mins MAN of the MATCH : Brandon Young