Truro City 2 v Poole Town 2

This was the third time that Poole and Truro have met this season (Dolphins winning previous two) but this was the first time that the Dolphins had made the long trip to deepest Cornwall. Blustery conditions and a bobbly pitch hindered both top of the table sides as quality was thin on the ground from both teams and a draw was probably a fair result. That said, Truro will feel that 2 points went begging as they let a two goal lead slip in the last half hour. The first half was a pretty drab affair with neither side able to retain the ball long enough to gain any momentum. A sloppy back header from Devlin in the first couple of minutes gifted the home side a good position but they were unable to capitalise and the chance came to nothing. It was Devlin himself who went closest for Poole in the first half. Firstly a fierce shot from the edge of the box was saved low down by the home keeper and three minutes later after he had seen another shot blocked, the ball again fell to the little midfield maestro but he sliced well wide with the keeper already out of position. With the game seemingly heading for deadlock at half time, Devlin gave away a needless freekick wide on the Truro right. Palmer thumped the ball from fully 30 yards and it flew through everyone, deceiving Hutchings who had already dived to his right. Within minutes Truro doubled their lead when a corner on the left was met by Pugh at the near post who produced a cheeky back heel into the net. A flattering scoreline for Truro and a mountain to climb for a misfiring Poole side. Half time: 2-0 There was little change at the start of the second half as Poole tried to take advantage of the wind at their backs. Very quickly, Richard Gillespie and Luke Roberts were brought on for Lewis Tallack and Ben Close respectively. With the Dolphins reverting to three at the back they did look more of a threat going forwards but inevitably it produced gaps at the back which Truro tried to capitalise on. In the space of ten minutes the home side had three excellent chances to wrap the game up. A brilliant cross from the right was headed just over, a lovely counter down the right ended with a toe poke past Hutchings and wide and then the best chance of all as a Truro striker found himself in acres of space and with all the time in the world he dragged his shot wide of the Hutching’s right hand post. It would prove costly. On 67 minutes Gillespie started a move for Poole down the left and after the ball wasn’t cleared properly, it fell again to Gillespie around the penalty spot and he volleyed home to give Poole a glimmer of hope. Usual story – team in front defending and the chasing side pushing forward. Sure enough, with just seven minutes remaining a Devlin corner from the right was dropped by the keeper and Michael Walker nodded home at the far post. Relief for the Dolphins then as they escape from a tricky trip to Cornwall with the points shared. Points ground out like this could prove the difference between being Champions or play-off hopefuls. TRURO CITY (4-1-3-2); McHale; White, Pugh, Farkins, Greenslade; Ash (capt); Green, Palmer, Krac; Wright (Duff 73), Vassell (Afful 25). Subs (not used): Hayles, Brett, Sullivan. Yellow cards: Palmer, Pugh. POOLE TOWN (4-2-3-1): Hutchings; Tallack (Roberts 56), Walker, Whisken (capt), Lindsay; Pettefer, Devlin; Burbidge, Brooks, Close (Gillespie 56); Quigley. Subs (not used): Yates, Davis. Yellow cards: Walker, Whisken. Referee: Mark Derrien (Devon) Attendance: 574 Read more: http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Truro-City-forced-settle-draw-league-leaders/story-26062948-detail/story.html#ixzz3SamQ2xxI Follow us: @westbriton on Twitter | westbriton on Facebook http://www.pooletownfc.co.uk/210215-truro-city-v-poole-town/

Banbury United 1 Truro City 2

Banbury made a promising start to this game and in the early stages matched their high-flying visitors. Truro went close in the 7th minute when Shane Krac shot just wide from 25 yards but it would be Banbury who would make the breakthrough on the quarter of an hour mark. A free-kick from wide on the right taken by Thomas Amegnaglo fell to Joel Meade close to the bye-line on the far side of the penalty area. Meade then passed the ball back to Kynan Isaac who took it past two defenders before passing across the goal to Tom Ryan who knocked the ball home from close range. However, United’s lead would last just three minutes. Danny Greenslade over-hit a cross from the left and the ball went through to the far side of the penalty area where Shane White hooked the ball back into the area where Les Afful was on hand to chest the ball home from five yards out. Having equalised Truro began to have the better of the game. In the 35th minute United were indebted to an excellent save from goalkeeper Leigh Bedwell to keep them on level terms. The ball was played into the centre from the right where Isaac Vassell headed it down to Les Afful 12 yards out who passed it back and set up Matthew Wright for a drive from the edge of the area which looked destined for the corner of the net before Bedwell dived low to his right to turn the ball away for a corner. Truro continued to have the better of proceedings early in the second half and took the lead in the 59th minute when a deep cross from the right by Shane White saw Wright rise at the far post and superbly head the ball back across Bedwell into the far top corner of the net. Having gone in front Truro controlled the rest of the game. Banbury “huffed and puffed” but never seriously threatened an equaliser from this point with Kyle Moore in the Truro goal not being asked to make any saves of note to keep his team ahead. United can have no complaints about the result and it is now five consecutive league defeats which leaves them eight points adrift of safety in the Premier Division table. Banbury United: Leigh Bedwell, Jacob Walcott, Marvin Martin, Joel Meade, Carl Tappin (Jack Westbrook 80), Tom Ryan, Jordan Green (Leam Howards 64), Thomas Amegnaglo, Nathaniel Lewis, Kynan Isaac, Darius Browne (Declan Hartigan 46). Subs (not used): Luke Cray, Duran Martin. Truro City: Kyle Moore, Shane White, Danny Greenslade, Jake Ash, Rob Farkins, Arran Pugh, Shane Krac (Ryan Brett 83), Ed Palmer, Matthew Wright, Isaac Vassell (Craig Duff 64), Les Afful (Dan Green 73). Subs (not used): Barry Hayles, Kieran Parker. Attendance: 239 http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/banburyunitedfootballclub/news/banbury-united-1-truro-city-2--match-report-1379716.html

Frome Town 1 Truro City 0

If fighting spirit has been in short supply recently, it resurfaced in a big way and the Blindman’s Brewery Stadium resembled the siege of the Alamo in the second half as the nine remaining Frome players performed heroics for the last half hour to defend a single goal lead against third place Truro City. With Darren Chitty returning from injury just in time to replace able stand in Ed Baldy who had broken a finger in practice this week, Brandon Mundy also returned from suspension to take his place in midfield with both Ben Worlock and Kris Miller still injured. It was clear from the start of the match that Frome had a new determination about their play, and with Lewis Haldane dropping back more into a midfield role allowing Matt Smith to come forward and link up with Ollie Taylor, they started well and were equal to Truro for the first 25 minutes, with Chitty showing that he was as capable as ever when dealing with a couple of snapshots. Truro’s goalkeeper Charlie Burns will want to forget his first real contribution to the game as he had had plenty of time to deal with a back pass, but as he moved the ball from one foot to the other, he waited too long and hit his clearance straight into the body of Ollie Taylor and the ball rolled perfectly into the net from the edge of the penalty area to give From the lead in the 25th minute. In response, Truro immediately went close as Chitty just failed to deal with a right wing corner, and then they showed their dangerous intentions twice in the space of five minutes as Matt Wright hung well in the air to win two headers, but both times he managed to guide the ball over the bar from ten yards out. Disaster struck Frome in the 41st minute as Taylor was shown a straight red in the 41st for a punch to the body after he was fouled and held down by Ed Palmer, who was shown a yellow card for his part in the incident. From the resulting free kick, Haldane curled the ball in and Smith volleyed only for the ball to strike a defender. The second half started with Burns almost getting another “assist” as his clearance hit Smith, but this time the ball refused to follow the plan, and after Rodriguez had charged another clearance down, Smith brought a save from Burns as he ran onto the ball. At the other end, Chitty was being brought into action more often as Truro upped the pace of the game against the ten men, but Frome still looked dangerous on the break as Haldane brought another low save from Burns. However, ten men became nine in the 58th as Dylan Bonella was penalised for a slight pull back on Les Afful, and as the referee raced to the spot and brandished first a yellow and then a red with a well rehearsed flourish, Frome’s task became even harder and the home fans started to realise that only a “Dunkirk spirit” would result in Frome avoiding defeat in this match. Josh Morgan Williams immediately replaced Aaron Rodriguez and the youngster went on to show that had the heart for the battle as he chased everything for the remaining thirty minutes, and he was not alone as every Frome player battled for everything and frustrated Truro time after time as they launched continuous attacks on Darren Chitty’s goal. Countless corners and free kicks kept the pressure on continuously, but with Rhys Baggridge, Jack Vallis and Mark Cooper throwing themselves at everything and Darren Chitty bringing off save after save, the impossible happened after Truro’s attack in the last minute had resulted in at least three goal line clearances, the referee eventually blew the whistle and an ecstatic home crowd, team and management celebrated the three points noisily. As a visiting Truro fan said after the match ... “you did well today, and we even brought our own referee with us”..... which kind of sums the game up in one sentence. Darren Chitty was chosen for the “H&B Tyres Man of the Match Award” by match sponsors John Scott Builders, though the whole team deserved the award for their bravery and sheer determination not to concede anything. FROME TOWN: Chityy; Cooper, Baggridge (capt), Vallis, Mundy, Hulbert, Bonella, Smith, Haldane (Herd 72), Taylor, Rodriguez (Morgan-Williams 58). Subs (not used): Brown, Twyfied, Cunnington. Yellow cards: Vallis, Cooper. Red cards: Taylor (41), Bonella (two yellows), 57. CITY: Burns; Tully (Afful 42), Farkins, Palmer, White (Hayles 72), Ash (capt) (Sullivan 62), Krac, Green, Greenslade, Wright, Vassell. Subs (not used) Duff, McHale. Yellow cards: Palmer, Green. Referee Adam Matthews (Stroud). Crowd: 212. http://www.frometownfc.co.uk/reports/truro_home.htm

Truro City 2 Burnham 1

An eighth successive home win moved City up to third in the Evo-Stik Southern premier division table, but they were given a real fight by the struggling visitors at a windswept Treyew Road. Two goals at either end of the first half by Matt Wright, which sandwiched an Adam Bernard equaliser, were enough to give City a fifth straight league victory and a tenth in their last 12 league outings. But they had to put in a tremendous second half defensive performance against the fierce wind, after missing the chance to give themselves a cushion when Craig Duff blasted over a penalty at the start of the second period. In the end though they held firm and with rivals Corby losing 1-0 at Paulton , moved up a place to third just two points behind leaders Poole, whose game was called off. And the Dorset side are the next visitors to Treyew Road on Saturday February 21. Before then City go to Frome and Banbury in the league, though on Tuesday they are at Poole in the Red Insure Cup quarter-finals. The game could hardly have started any better for City as Wright gave them a third minute lead when he charged down a attempted clearance by Burnham keeper Alex Lynch and walked the ball into the empty net. But the Buckinghamshire visitors were deservedly back on level terms when Bernard converted a left wing cross midway through the half. City did not really use the wind to their advantage, but in first half stoppage time Wright’s low drive from the edge of the area found the bottom corner to give them a precious 2-1 interval lead. But three minutes into the second half they wasted a glorious chance to open a two goal lead when Issac Vassell was fouled in the box, but Duff’s spot kick flew well over the bar. The visitors buoyed by the let off, pushed forward, pumping the ball into the City area at every opportunity, but the home defence was resolute, led by man of the match Arran Pugh, though it needed a great save by keeper Charlie Burns with his legs to keep his side in front. And as the half wore on they looked more comfortable as they continued their seemingly inevitable march to at least the end of season play-offs. CITY: Burns; Farkins, Palmer, Pugh; White, Green, Ash (capt), Duff (Afful 58), Greenslade; Wright (Sullivan 78), Vassell (Hayles 90+1). Subs (not used): Moore (GK), Brett. Yellow card: Palmer. Goals: Wright (3) 1-0, Bernard (21) 1-1, Wright (45+1) 2-1. BURNHAM: Lynch; Josh Webb (capt), Gray, Page, Joshua Webb, Gordon, Montgomery (Dickens 66), Foggarty (Risbridger (87), Davies, Artwell (Lossaso 61), Bernard, Yellow card: Joshua Webb Crowd: 362. Referee: David Ricketts Man of the match: Arran Pugh (Truro City) http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Truro-City-eighth-straight-home-victory/story-25954164-detail/story.html