Carlsberg South West Peninsula premierTavistock AFC 2Plymouth Parkway 2LANGSFORD Park had stood up to the previous day’s rain and passed the morning’s inspection by the referee for this eagerly awaited match between first and second in the league.

It was a game the Lambs had to win to get within 10 points of Parkway winning all their games in hand and it would and will take a massive dip in form of the leaders for the home side to get anywhere near them in the league table.

Tavistock were missing the injured Ben Cross and Liam Prynn but welcomed new signing Dan Barrow. The club also welcomed manager Stuart Henderson’s under 9 and 10s academy as ball boys for the game.

Parkway started on the front foot with a couple of free kicks and a corner that came to nothing and the first chance for the home side on eight minutes saw Josh Grant firing wide. Moore flicked away a Talon Burns free kick for a corner. Tavistock’s Jack Crago then saw his header go wide from a Grant cross. Not long after, Luke Brown fired in a long shot chip over the keeper but it also went over the bar.

The Lambs saw another chance go begging as Grant’s low cross was just out of reach of Burns to slot home. The home side’s Dave Hallett had to leave the field after a nasty forehead gash that required stitches

On 23 minutes the visitors had a great chance to take the lead when former Lambs’ striker Glynn Hobbs broke free for a one on one with Josh Oak but the keeper deflected his shot for a corner.

Parkway then found themselves down to 10 men as Pople received a second caution.?The Lambs forced a series of free kicks and corners before they took the lead just before half time. Crago won the ball back in midfield to free Burns and his cross field ball found Brown in the area to round his marker and coolly slot home past keeper Moore.

It was in the second half though that the real fireworks started, beginning in the 46th minute. Tavistock claimed that Warren Daw was fouled, with a free kick awarded against him. A minute later he fouled Smith and was given his second yellow but in this stoppage somehow Parkway keeper Moore came from his goal to receive his second yellow and Hobbs got in on the act, striking Crago. To add to all this, both managers were sent from the field for coming on to the pitch. It was now ten versus eight in favour of the Lambs.

It then became a very tactical game and the tempo seemed to have slowed down in the visitors’ favour.

Brown struck the Parkway crossbar and the red cards did not stop as Josh Robbins picked up a straight red for the Lambs.

With two minutes left of normal play Lewis Daw rose to head home a corner from Burns.

It looked to be all over but there was going to be a great deal of added time with the cards and injury.

Parkway took full advantage and in the fourth minute of injury time defender Rob Farkins swept home to reduce the deficit and then in the eighth minute, substitute Luke Derham brought the scores level to send the Parkway faithful into wild celebrations. That point almost sealed the championship to the Plymouth side.

Fair play to the Parkway for coming back to draw level with just eight men but it was a game that the Lambs will look back on as another that has slipped from their grasp.

It would now appear that second spot is their destiny but they will never give up until it is mathematically impossible to go further.