Bottom club Truro City go down to league leaders

By Rhod Mitchell, West Briton

Truro City 0 Welling United 3

City battled hard, but found Blue Square Bet South leaders Welling United just too strong on a bitterly cold afternoon at Treyew Road, in a game which only went ahead after some sterling work on the ground by officials and volunteers.

The teams went into the match separated by 52 points and while there was not that big a disparity in the sides, in what was a rather scrappy encounter, the clinical finishing of the Kent outfit ensured there was never really any likelihood of a shock result.

City gave a debut to new signing from Frome Town, Jason Copp and the 19-year-old former Plymouth Argyle midfielder looked the part in a promising first display.

  

He came in for the injured Marcus Martin and City also had to make a late change when player-manager Lee Hodges failed a fitness test, with Ben Williams taking his place.

The game started slowly, but it was Welling who took the lead after 18 minutes when a quick break by Jake Gallagher ended with him finding Theo Fairweather-Johnson in space on the right and he drove the ball low past a helpless Luke Payne in the City goal.

Stung by conceding the goal, City came back well, with Andy Watkins unlucky to see his effort come back off the inside of the post before being hacked clear, while defender Paul Kendall headed over from a deep a free-kick to the far post by Martin Watts.

But five minutes before half time City went 2-0 down when Ross Lafayette hammered the ball home after Payne had blocked a Lee Clarke drive.

In the second half City rarely looked like getting back into the match and suffered an early blow when Watts had to go off injured, to be replaced by Matt Wright, forcing another reshuffle.

Their fading hopes were then dealt a killer blow midway through the half when Cody Cooke brought down Anthony Acheampong for a blatant penalty.

Although Payne produced a great diving save to his right from Lafayette's spot kick, he could only push the ball on to the inside of the post before it trickled over the line for Welling's third goal.

A clash between City skipper Jake Ash and Gallagher, which sparked a bit of a melee, saw both players booked, but it was a rare moment of excitement as the game rather petered out.

Wright missed a good opening for a City consolation goal when he headed wide at the far post from a cross by Watkins, while at the other end Payne saved well from Jack Obersteller.

And there was perhaps the biggest cheer of the afternoon when Stewart Yetton came on for the final few minutes after some five months out with injury.

But in the end City were well beaten by a Welling side now nine points clear at the top of the table while City are a massive 17 points adrift of safety.

Truro City: Payne; Williams, Gerring, Kendall, Watts (Wright 51), Cooke, Copp, Ash (capt), Afful, Watkins, Hayles , Yetton (85). Subs (not used: Broad.

Yellow cards: Ash, Copp, Hayles.

Welling Utd: Turner; Franks, Obersteller, Day, Martin, Acheampong, Gallagher (Kinch 73), Clarke, Reid, Lafayette (Guthrie 76).
Fairweather-Johnson (Hughes-Mason 70). Subs (not used): Main, Fakinos.
Yellow cards: Day, Gallagher.
Half time: 0-2.
Goals: Fairweather-Johnson (18) 0-1, Lafayette (41), 0-2, Lafayette (pen 65) 0-3.
Crowd: 448.
Referee: Christopher Powell (Poole).