A Mare of a game

By Rhod Mitchell - ThisIsCornwall.

Images can be viewed HERE by Jo Wood

An own goal in dying minutes gives Weston revenge victory at Truro

Truro City remain in tenth place in Blue Square Bet South despite yesterday's 1-0 home defeat to top-ten rivals Weston-super-Mare.

Lee Hodges' side won 1-0 at Woodspring Park on Boxing Day but were undone by Arran Pugh's 88th-minute own goal at Treyew Road yesterday, when the towering central defender hooked the ball over home goalkeeper Tom Brooks as he tried to clear City lines.

Truro player-manager Hodges – who, as anticipated, made his third start of the season – said: "It was a freak own goal. It will make the video archives because Pughie could not do that again if he tried.

"Overall, a draw would have been a fair result just as it would have been up at their place, really.

"The longer the game went on – and having played them up there – I always thought that one goal was going to be enough to win it, because there's not much between the two sides. But it looked for all the world that we were going to finish 0-0."

Hodges was left to rue a missed opportunity to level in stoppage time when the ball bounced up invitingly on the edge of the Seagulls' penalty area. However, visiting keeper Lloyd Irish was able to make a relatively easy save.

The City boss explained: "I had a really good chance in the first half and sent it wide, so I was conscious of the fact that I had to connect cleanly. I managed to do that but caught it too well and smashed it right at the keeper. It needed a deflection or something on the way."

Weston – who impressed Hodges at Woodspring Park – made three changes from the side beaten on Boxing Day and they signalled their intent by hitting the home bar from an early corner.

Recalled attacking midfielder Kane Ingram hit the post from a Nat Pepperell cross in the second half, but the match seemed destined to finish goalless.

Hodges said: "They hit the bar and the post but there really wasn't that much in it." The City boss made one change to the side that won at Weston – where skipper Jake Ash claimed his 50th City goal – by recalling experienced forward Andy Watkins in place of rookie Cody Cooke.

Central defender Steve Adams – who, like Hodges, joined Truro from Torquay United – made his 100th City appearance yesterday.

Torquay United's Ed Palmer – who has played in defence and more recently midfield for City – is now set to return to his parent club after the end of his loan spell at Truro.

The 20-year-old has made 16 appearances for City and scored once in the league.

Truro City: Brooks; McConnell, Adams, Pugh, Walker; Hodges, Palmer (Martin 77), Ash, Watkins, Smith, Afful. Substitutes (not used): Cooke, Broad.
Weston-super-Mare: Irish; Price, Cleverley, Villis, Slocombe, Laird, Ingram, Kirk, Kabba, Trowbridge, Pepperell.Substitutes (not used): Martin, Young, McGregor, Grubb.

Goal: Pugh (og) 88.
Referee: L Swabey (Plymouth).
Attendance: 616.