Truro City hit for six by clinical league leaders (by Rhod Mitchell, West Briton)

Truro City 1 Hemel Hempstead Town 6

City were taught a harsh lesson in finishing by the Calor League premier division leaders who went 14 points clear at the top with an emphatic win to end City’s six match unbeaten run.

The game, which only went ahead after heroic efforts by the home club after all the midweek storm damage, was played in a howling gale and was over as a meaningful contest in less than 20 minutes as Hemel captain Jordan Parkes helped himself to a hat-trick.

Parkes first struck in the second minute with a low drive and after Ben Watson had missed a glorious chance to equalise, when he delayed his shot too long, the Hemel captain soon made it 2-0 with a superb free-kick.



And Parkes completed his hat-trick four minutes later with a crisp shot after City had failed to clear the ball.

City immediately replaced keeper Grant Fisher, who was apparently carrying a hip injury, with Ollie Chenoweth.

And it should have been 4-0 when Lewis Toomey rounded the replacement keeper but shot wide of the far post.

Truro had their moments, but right on half time Toomey poked home a corner to make it 4-0.

It was then all about damage limitation for City in the second half as they brought on Liam Eddy for Olly Brokenshire at half time.

And Eddy made an immediate impression shooting over while Watson also missed a good opening.

But Hemel were always a real danger going forward and Toomey made it 5-0 after 67 minutes with good finish after a jinking run in the box.

And with nine minutes left he completed his hat-trick after rounding Chenoweth and finding the far corner.

City did manage a deserved late consolation, with Eddy easily converting a Jordan Copp, from the left, but the home side finished a well beaten side.

Truro City: Fisher (Chenoweth 22); Tully, Kendall (capt), Pugh, White; Broad, Cooke; Lowry, Green (Copp 72); Brokenshire (Eddy h-t), Watson. Subs not used: Daw, Afful.

Goal: Eddy 83.

Hemel Hempstead Town : Walker, Diarra, Murphy, Blankett (Connolly 67); Talbot, Parkes (capt), Thorne, Allen; Toomey (Hutton 82), Pearce.

Subs not used: Mackey, Tokarczyk, May.

Goals: Parkes 2, 15, 19 Toomey 44, 67, 81.

Crowd: 253

Referee: Andrew Bennett