Plymouth Parkway Come Back From Behind to Reach the FA Cup Second Round
Plymouth Parkway came from a goal down to beat Berkhamsted 2-1 after extra time, and a penalty settled it. The win takes the Devon club into the second round of the FA Cup for the first time.
The FA Cup is England's knockout competition, and it gives clubs from the lower leagues a chance to play the big names. Both sides were in the first round for the first time. The tie was played at Bolitho Park in Plymouth in front of a sold-out crowd, and the home supporters had plenty to shout about before the end.
Berkhamsted, a non-league side from Hertfordshire, went ahead two minutes after half-time through Luke Andrews. For a long stretch, that looked like enough. Parkway kept pressing, and the breakthrough came from the spot. The FA says Parkway's first penalty was awarded after Hubert Graczyk was judged to have fouled Rocky Neal inside the box. Neal sent the kick into the net with just under 20 minutes left, and the sides were level.
Neither team could find the winner in normal time, so the match went to extra time, the additional 30 minutes played when a knockout game is still level after 90 minutes. Parkway had the decisive moment there too. A second penalty followed after Godlove Oppong pulled the shirt of Mikey Williams, and Neal scored again. The FA lists Neal as the scorer of both of Parkway's goals, and the win was his.
BBC Sport credits Andrew Neal with the two goals, while the FA names him as Rocky Neal.
What comes next is a home tie. Parkway will host Barnet, a League Two side, in the second round. League Two is the fourth tier of the English league system, so Barnet will arrive with a professional club's experience and a full league season behind them. For Parkway, the draw is a reward for a day that will be remembered at Bolitho Park for years.
For a non-league club, a first trip this far is about more than the result. It is the chance to host a professional team in front of their own supporters, and to find out what their squad can do against opponents with more money and more resources. Parkway have already had their moment. Whatever happens next, the crowd in Plymouth got a match to remember.
