Truro Fans: Truro City 2 Macclesfield Town 2

17 January 2016

Truro City 2 Macclesfield Town 2

Pictures by Jonathan Jacobs

After taking the lead on the hour mark with a deflected effort from Ollie Knowles - his first for the club - City had quickly found themselves 2-1 down after the visitors hit back with goals from top scorer Kristian Dennis and lively substitute Rhys Turner.

But in a dramatic finish, with goalmouth action at both ends, Vassell pounced on a loose ball to make it 2-2 and the pacy striker was then only denied a winner by a superb save from Macclesfield keeper Ritchie Branagan.

And it means City will have to make the long trip to Cheshire on Tuesday evening for a replay, which means their scheduled National League South game against Hemel Hempstead Town will again be postponed.

It was no less than the home side deserved as, watched by the biggest crowd of the season at Treyew, they matched their higher league opponents who are chasing a return to the Football League.

With Jake Ash unwell and Matt Wright injured, Vassell came into the side with new signing Bayan Fenwick on the bench for the home team

In the opening half there was little between the teams, though City carried the greater goal threat.

Cody Cooke headed just over from a Ryan Brett corner and Vassell was just unable to get his head to a Connor Riley-Lowe cross from the left, while the ball did not run for them kindly on several occasions.

But luck was on their side when they went ahead 15 minutes into the second period, with Knowles letting fly from just outside the area with his shot taking a wicked deflection past a wrong footed Branagan to give City a 1-0 lead.

However, that lead lasted only six minutes as Dennis made it 1-1 when he found himself in space at the far post when the ball ran loose after Martin Rice made a great save to deny substitute Turner.

Buoyed by the goal, the visitors had a terrific spell and went 2-1 up with a fine goal from Turner who finished well after a strong run into the heart of the City area.

Rice then had to maker vital saves to thwart Dennis and substitute Danny Rowe to prevent Macclesfield from scoring a killer third.

City though rode out the storm and their persistence paid off with Vassell's equaliser to set up a thrilling finale, in which either side could have won it.

In the end though a draw was a fair result, even though a midweek 600 mile round trip to a chilly Cheshire for the replay is hardly ideal.

TRURO CITY: Rice; White, Pugh, Richards, Riley-Lowe; Knowles, Green, Cooke (Afful 74), Brett (Gill 79), Duff (Fenwick 65), Vassell. Subs (not used): Dawson, Mitchell.

MACCLESFIELD TOWN: Branagan; Halls, Pilkington (Turner 65), Byrne, Fitzpatrick; Holroyd (Rowe 65),, Diagne, Whitehead, Whitaker (capt), Sampson; Dennis. Subs (not used); Turnbull, Cowan, Lewis.

Goals: Knowles (60) 1-0, Dennis 66 (1-1), Turner (77) 1-2, Vassell (85) 2-2.

Referee: Brett Huxtable (Torrington)

Crowd: 665.