10 November 2013

Kendall header earns Truro City well deserved draw against league leaders (by Rhod Mitchell, West Briton)

Truro City 1 Chesham Utd 1

A highly creditable and deserved point against the league leaders, provided yet more evidence that City are coming to terms with life in the premier division of the Calor League.

A fine header from skipper Paul Kendall, five minutes after the visitors had taken a 71st minute lead through Chris Dillon, ensured a share of the spoils for City, who have now taken 10 points from 15 in their last five league games.

After three wins in their last four matches, this was the acid test for City against a Chesham side who had won their last ten league and cup matches.

And they passed the examination comfortably with a performance which saw them more than match Chesham, who beat City 4-2 earlier in the season.

Manager Steve Massey kept faith with the side which won at Hitchin Town last week, though there was a return for striker Ben Watson after injury on the bench.

City began the game well, with Liam Eddy shooting wide, but gradually Chesham got into to game and the league's leading scorer Drew Roberts was just unable to get a touch to Dillon's lob over Ollie Chenoweth and then shot wide after a mistake by Arran Pugh.

But at the other end, only a tremendous flying save by Chesham keeper Shane Gore kept out Eddy's powerful header from a Les Afful cross as the half ended goalless.

The second half was end to end stuff, with Gore performing heroics to keep out a Kendall header, before Chesham took the lead.

A quick fire counter-attack caught City short at the back and Steve Wales found Dillon on the right of the area and his exquisite chip over Chenoweth found the far corner.
But City quickly hit back as Kendall's header from a Lowry corner from the right got them back to 1-1.

And in an exciting finish, either team could have snatched a winner, with Chenoweth saving well from Dillon, while Eddy missed the chance to set up Watson at the death.
In the end though it was a good point for City, though manager Steve Massey said afterwards he and his side where disappointed not to take all three.

On the downside he also revealed that skipper Jake Ash would be out for much longer that had been expected with a pelvic problem and was unlikely to return until some time in the new year.

CITY: Chenoweth; Tully, Kendall, Pugh, White; Afful, Broad, Lowry, Slateford (Watson 74), Afful. Subs (not used): Sims, Copp, Evans, Brokenshire.
Yellow cards: Pugh, Tully, Lowry, Afful.
CHESHAM UTD: Gore; Kyriacou, Brathwaite, Stewart, Gordan, Thomas, Potton (Fotheringham 78), Wales (Effiong 81), Dillon, Roberts, Wilson.
Subs (not used): Little, Brown.
Yellow cards: Wales, Dillon.
Goals: Dillon (71) 0-1, Kendall (76) 1-1.
Referee: Adam Penwell (Weston-super-Mare).
Crowd: 461.


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