Unbeaten Run Continues After Hard Fought Draw
Ebac Northern League Division 2 - Tuesday 22nd September 2026 FC Hartlepool 1 v 1 Park View AFC
Two in-form teams met at the Grayfields Sports Pavilion, Hartlepool on a balmy September evening. The action on the pitch almost as warm as it was off it as after a hard-fought competitive 90 minutes both had to settle for a point.
For Park View it meant they stretched their unbeaten league run to four games as they continue to climb up the table. They have played more games than those around them but points on the board are sometimes more valuable.
Park View were forced into two changes from Saturday's 3 - 2 home win over Stokesley. Brandon Young was not available so Ollie Taylor came in and with Trystan Hounsell away on Wales Under-18 duty Davy Carter returned in goal.
It meant a slight change in formation with Head Coach John Gamble and his Assistant Colin Wotherspoon opting for a flat back four. Taylor taking the right back slot and Reyhan Grimaud moving to centre back.
The home side started the brighter and Joe Spalding and Jake Stott combined well on the right to give Robbie Keenan a shooting opportunity but he pulled his shot well wide from 22-yards.
A diagonal ball from Olly Burrows found Stott marauding on the right but his progress was halted by a good challenge from Alex Clark who conceded a corner. Tom Gavin took it but saw Nathan Conroy head clear for Park View.
Neat interchange between FC skipper Lewis Green and Gavin found Burrows in space on the left. His cross into the danger area well dealt with by Clark with a big clearing header.
Park View began to get some of their noted possession football going with skipper Ben Gallagher and Charlie Loveday prompting and probing. But FC were defending solidly and there was no way through early on.
Stott then won another corner off Carter Bell for Gavin to swing in. The ball was flicked on by Matty Lovatt but Markus Geifalk was well positioned at the back post and cleared decisively.
Park View got their first corner of the game when Gallagher put Taylor away on the right overlapping. His cross being diverted by Burrows. Bell swung a dangerous ball into the six-yard box that Gavin got clear for another corner.
This time from the opposite side Jacob Mallinson worked a short corner routine with Gallagher who got into the box but was crowded out by the Hartlepool defence before he could create something dangerous.
Then a long ball from defence saw Carter having to be alert and come off his line to clear in front of Xander Hunt. FC worked the ball back to the right where Josh Stiff showed good feet and crossed low only to see Carter claim well.
Loveday was playing just behind the front two of Conroy and Niall Armstrong and looking to find a way through. He did well from that position to find Taylor on the right wing in attacking mode.
The full back did well to find space and then cross low towards Conroy who was just denied in the centre of the home box by a timely challenge from Lovatt. Both sides were working industriously looking for an opening.
Mallinson started a good Park View move with a ball to the left flank and Bell coming forward. The left back crossing to the back post and finding Armstrong who laid the ball back to Gallagher who shot well over the bar from 18-yards.
There was a nasty incident and a lengthy delay following a FC free kick conceded by Geifalk. Green floating the ball into the Park View box where Lovatt and Clark went for the ball. Clark won it but clashed with his skipper Gallagher.
Both players went down with head wounds and both physios were called into action. Clark getting up first looked fine and then Gallagher a bit more gingerly followed him to his feet.
At this stage there was little between the teams with defences on top. Geifalk with a flick header found Armstrong who also flick headed it on to Loveday who put Bell away on the left. His cross intercepted by Spalding for a PV corner.
It almost gave Park View the lead. Mallinson's inswinger finding Clark whose on-target effort unluckily hit his own player in Armstrong. The ball rebounding wide on the right to Taylor.
He did well to whip in a great cross but Clark virtually unmarked on the 6-yard line could not convert the good chance and get a header in on goal that might well have caused FC keeper Logan Douglas problems.
The home side responded to Park View's pressure by breaking out down the right with a determined run by Spalding. He cut inside and tried his luck from outside the box but it lacked power and Carter made an easy save.
Park View though were beginning to get on top. A free kick 25-yards saw Loveday hit the wall with his effort that was cleared. Loveday then set-up Armstrong just inside the box but his right foot angled shot was wide.
Then on 35 minutes Loveday was put in on goal by Mallinson but saw his left effort saved in great style by Douglas diving low to his left. Conroy on the follow-up saw his shot blocked by Scott Close.
Another Loveday inspired move saw Armstrong with another half chance that he hit well but again the FC defence stood firm and blocked the drive. Park View now looking the more likely.
They were though forced into a substitution as Bell limped off with a groin strain to be replaced by Isaac Anderson. However they kept pressing and were rewarded with the opening goal on 44 minutes.
Loveday the instigator picking up a ball 40 yards from goal turning well and attacking the heart of the FC defence. As he drew defenders towards him he slipped a great pass into the feet of Conroy just inside the box.
PV's number 9 showing great composure in the inside left channel to jink inside Close leaving him sprawling before placing his right foot effort coolly past the despairing dive of Douglas into the left hand corner of the net.
It was only the striker's second goal of the season and his first since opening day. But his composed finish showed no lack of confidence or belief in his own ability.
It was almost two for Park View in quick succession as goal scorer Conroy almost turning provider. As PV attacked purposefully again Conroy found Armstrong who tried from 14-yards to go across Douglas.
The FC keeper though did really well to dive full length to his right to keep the on-target shot out and ensure that his side were only one down as the side's trooped off after seven additional minutes due to the Clark/Gallagher clash.
That clash actually took it's toll at the half-time interval as Gallagher's head wounds sent him off to hospital for emergency treatment and Frankie Young replaced him at the start of the second half.
The second 45 minutes opened with Hartlepool's Stiff winning a corner on their right off Clark. Gavin delivered an a bout of head tennis saw the ball fall to Keenan whose shot was blocked by Grimaud.
The rebound fell to Lovatt whio was still up following the corner but he could only smash his chance wide of the target. At the other end yet another foulon Loveday in a dangerous position gave PV's top scorer another opportunity.
This time his effort from distance did clear the wall but it also cleared the bar as well not troubling Douglas in the home goal. FC made two changes on the hour mark Fin Smith and Will Coxon coming on for Stiff and Gavin.
But it was Park View that almost broke through again with a great move. Loveday drifting infield found space and time to feed Mallinson who spotted Taylor overlapping into the FC box.
A lovely inside pass from Mallinson looked to have freed Taylor but Hunt tracking back did brilliantly to make a last ditch tackle and deny Taylor just as he was lining up his shot.
The home side were starting to assert a bit of pressure and look dangerous. Spalding driving down the right and cutting inside was met by a great Clark challenge at the expense of a corner. Green's kick easily cleared by PV.
Substitute Coxon then did well to win a ball in midfield and then set Stott up centrally about 20-yards from goal but Stott fired just over the bar from a good position.
On 68 minutes Park View missed a superb chance to kill the game off with an excellent move that deserved a goal it did not get. Taylor did brilliantly on the right to advance and curl a ball down the line to find Conroy.
The PV goal scorer expertly flicking the ball on first time to release Loveday who cut across the pitch from right to left evading three attempts to dispose him. Loveday then picked out Armstrong in the box with an excellent sliding pass.
Armstrong was in on goal one-on-one with only Douglas to beat as FC awaited an Assistant's flag that never came. But Armstrong missed the target with his close-in running effort that beat Douglas but also the far right-hand post.
It was to prove a costly miss as FC Hartlepool pulled level four minutes later. It was Stott finding Hunt inside the box in acres of space and as Geifalk stood off Hunt he was able to turn smartly and fire the ball past the helpless Carter.
It was almost 2 - 1 to the home side moments later after a Park View counter attack won them a corner. Anderson took it delivering the ball well into the middle but Douglas came out well and punched the ball well clear.
The ball fell to Keenan who smashed it long and true to once again find Hunt in space with time inside the Park View box. This time although his shot was well hit Carter was equal to it and made a superb diving save to keep the side's level.
The substitutions had made a difference for FC and they looked brighter and sharper especially with Spalding on the right as well. He made another good break down his flank before turning the ball inside to Smith.
Smith in turn found Coxon just to the centre of the box on the right side. Coxon hitting a good left foot shot that flashed wide of the far post not far off target although perhaps Carter had it covered.
For the last ten minutes brought on Kieran Woods for Conroy as they went looking for a go-ahead goal. A nice move almost created it. Armstrong started it finding substitue Bobby Gough who had come on for Geifalk on 75 minutes.
Gough showing good control footwork and awareness to find the impressive Taylor on the right flank. His cross in was a dangerous one that Lovatt could only head to the edge of the box and straight to Armstrong.
Armstrong had followed the move and found himself in a good position but unfortunately his right foot shot from 18-yards lacked the power needed to test Douglas who saved easily.
Loveday continued to cause all manner of problems for FC with his pace trickery and superb ball control time and time again. Another astonishing run almost leading to a great Park View goal as time ticked down.
He set off from the right side across the pitch leaving defenders in his wake as he twisted and turned before laying a great ball to the onrushing Anderson on the left wing. Anderson without breakig stride crossing low into the box.
The ball found Armstrong who controlled it well before laying it off to Woods who had a great chance. His 12-yard effort was well struck and on target. Douglas though was equal to it and made a brilliant reflex save with his feet.
FC looked most dangerous from set plays although in true they never really got the efforts on target to trouble Carter in the PV goal. Two late opporttunties squandered. Firstly Clark conceded a free kick with a push on Green.
Green took the responsibility of delivering the free kick but he was too long with the ball in and it drifted wide. Then Stott won a corner on the right that was swung in to the back post where Lovatt was waiting.
The ball though was too high for Lovatt to get any purchase on his header and although he was inside the six-yard box he could only deflect the ball well wide of the post.
The final chance of the game deep into injury time came Park View's way. Mallinson fouled by Coxon outside the box centrally about 22- yards out. Mallinson got up to take the free kick firing it just too high and over the bar.
It brought an end to a good open game. Contrasting styles between the two sides for sure but both had their chances. Perhaps Park View had the better of them and certainly Douglas was worked a lot more than Carter.
But a point each seemed just about right on the balance of the game. Park View's taking them up a place to fourth in the table just above AFC Newbiggin who they face at home at The Riverside on Saturday in big game for both sides.
TEAM : 1. Davy Carter 2. Ollie Taylor 3. Carter Bell 4. Markus Geifalk 5. Alex Clark 6. Reyhan Grimaud 7. Jacob Mallinson 8. Ben Gallagher (c) 9. Nathan Conroy 10. Niall Armstrong 11. Charlie Loveday
SUBS : 12. Frankie Young (for Gallagher 46 mins) 13. Lewis Stephenson (Not Used) 14. Bobby Gough (for Geifalk 75 mins) 15. Isaac Anderson (for Bell 39 mins) 16. Kieran Woods (for Conroy 80 mins) GOAL SCORER : Conroy 44 PLAYER of the MATCH : Alex Clark
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