Manager Steve Massey was full of praise for the “grit and steel” showed by his Truro City team in Tuesday’s 2-2 Southern League Premier Division draw at Stourbridge, when they were only denied victory by a late equaliser.
They are words which would not have been associated with the Cornish team earlier in the season, when they had something of a soft underbelly. But now Massey’s men have increasingly become a difficult side to beat, as evidenced by their record of just one loss (at leaders Hemel Hempstead Town) in their last eight league matches.
However, five of those games have been draws, and Massey is convinced they could have all been turned into wins.
“If we had picked up those extra ten points, we would have been on the edge of the promotion race,” he said. “It was a very good performance [at Stourbridge]. The guys grafted and I was very proud of them, and we also played some quality
football.“Three months ago, we would have been happy with a point away to a good team like Stourbridge. But we have been playing well and fancied our chances and it just shows how far we have come. There is a lot of grit and steel there now.”
Massey, though, could not hide his frustration that City had been unable to hold on for what would have been their first win of 2014. “I thought we had done enough,” he said.
Tuesday’s game was into the final minute, with City 2-1 up after goals by Olly Brokenshire (28 minutes and Ben Watson (81), when a costly
error from Arran Pugh ended with a Stourbridge equaliser in the 89th minute.Pugh, who was suffering from a gashed leg, failed to deal with a ball out wide, allowing it to be pulled back into the penalty area, where Stourbridge’s Kayleden Brown applied the finishing touch. Brown had scored the hosts’ opening goal in the 53rd minute.
It was tough on City who, after riding their luck early on at the War Memorial Athletic Ground, twice took the lead but just could not get over the line.
Massey added: “When Ben gave us the lead with less than ten minutes left, I thought we had done enough.”
City are next in action at Redditch United on Saturday.
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