22 January 2018

Whitehawk 3 Truro City 2

See Video Highlights Here: http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/match-info/match-centre/1-2850718

Despite being adrift at the bottom of the table, our hosts went into the game unbeaten in three games since the turn of the year and they started the game with purpose as Marsh-Brown forced an early corner before a neat move ended with Omotayo’s effort being deflected over by Benyon.
It was developing into an evenly-matched affair as the half went on with chances at a premium at either end.
There was a booking for Chris Todd, who was back in the heart of the back-line, for a foul on Benyon as our hosts looked to launch a raid.
The home side took the lead on 21 minutes when the lively Marsh-Brown managed to get in an inviting cross to find Omotayo who in turn teed up Lyons-Foster and he fired home to make it 1-0.
The lead lasted barely five minutes before we were back on level terms when Aaron Lamont launched an attack and as the ball came back to him, he spotted the run of Cody Cooke who broke through before slotting home.
We started to up the tempo in the wake of the equaliser and on 28 minutes, Keats was unlucky to see his strike crash against the woodwork.
There was a good chance at the other end when Omotayo found space inside the area but he flashed his low strike across the face of goal and inches wide of the target.
The White Tigers took the lead when Tyler Harvey put the ball into the danger zone after some good work by Connor Riley-Lowe and following a melee, Ben Harding was on hand to guide the ball home with the ‘keeper on the floor.
Moments after the goal, Benyon went close for the hosts when his effort was deflected just over, whilst at the other end, a breakaway ended with Harvey seeing his attempt pushed out by the ‘keeper.
The early action of the second period saw Ed Palmer go into the book after he halted the progress of Benyon and from the resulting free-kick, Omotayo went close.
There was a chance for Cooke at the other end after he linked up with Harvey but he lifted the ball over the ‘keeper and just wide.
Our hosts were able to get back onto level terms when Benyon won a corner which was delivered invitingly into the danger zone where Omotayo went up for the header with Harding and the ball looped over Tom McHale and into the net to make it 2-2.
There was a chance for The White Tigers when Keates linked up with Cooke whose ball across the face of goal just evaded the reach of Harvey.
The home side regained the lead when Lamont brought Marsh-Brown down inside the area and was duly booked. From the resulting spot-kick, Omotayo saw his effort saved by Tom McHale but he was alert to guide the rebound home to put his side back in front.
A positive run from Lyons-Foster ended him with dragging his effort wide as The White Tigers struggled to regain a hold in the game as the clock ticked down.
As we approached added time at the end, McHale did well to deny Pinney before a goalmouth scramble right at the death saw the home side clear their lines to secure a first home win of the season as their impressive form continues.

WHITE TIGERS: McHale, Thompson, Riley-Lowe, Palmer, Todd (Yetton), Richards, Lamont, Keats (Neal), Harvey, Cooke, Harding. Subs not used: Palfrey, Copp.
BOOKING(S): Todd, Palmer, Lamont
GOAL(S): Cooke, Harding

http://www.trurocityfc.net/news/report-white-tigers-slip-at-a-resurgent-whitehawk-2155068.html

09 January 2018

Bath City 0 Truro City 0

Bath City failed to trouble the scoreboard for the fifth successive match at Twerton Park, and consequently had to settle for a single point against high flying Truro City despite dominating for long periods. In isolation, this was a creditable result but frustration was, no doubt, the overriding emotion felt by the majority of those on the terraces as the goal drought continued.

Bath, attacking the Bristol End in the first half, began brightly and Jack Compton’s 3rd minute free kick was deflected by a defender, forcing keeper Tom McHale to push the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

The Cornish side responded in the 7th minute through a low cross from Cody Cooke that flew across the face of Luke Southwood’s goal, and away to safety. Almost immediately, Michael Kelly flashed a cross into the danger area that eluded his teammates, and then Tom Smith’s clipped effort was cleared over the bar by a defender.

The hosts were now dominating in terms of possession, and a good move down the left on 18 minutes resulted in Compton’s cross picking out Smith, whose flicked effort was blocked by a well-timed challenge. Compton then tried his luck twice in quick succession from 25 yards out, with the first shot being well wide, and the second being too high.

James Morton concluded some neat passing movement with a driven shot that was wide of McHale’s near post and, on the half hour mark, ‘The Romans’ had perhaps their best opening of the first period. McHale came a long way out of his box to clear a long through ball, but the rebound fell to Smith. The midfielder struck a first time shot but, with the keeper stranded, the ball drifted over the unguarded net.

Truro came more into the game thereafter, with Cooke skewing a shot badly wide from just outside the home box, and Niall Thompson’s rising effort from distance being too high to trouble Southwood.

The returning Ross Stearn was becoming more influential as time wore on, and his 37th minute angled drive from the edge of the area bounced awkwardly just in front of McHale, who did very well to hold on the ball.

There was a scare for the home side three minutes before the break when former ‘Roman’ Noah Keats let fly from 25 yards. The ball squirmed from Southwood’s clutch, but the keeper reacted quickly to gather at the second attempt on the goalline. The home stopper was called into action again when he was forced to punch a cross away whilst under pressure, and again recovered in time to save Cooke’s extravagant overhead kick.

The second half started slowly, but the visitors came desperately close to taking the lead in the 55th minute. Cooke rose highest to meet a right-wing cross, and thudded his header against the face of Southwood’s crossbar. The loose ball was scrambled clear.

Stearn found space down the right flank on the hour mark, but his raking cross just eluded the onrushing Nat Jarvis. At the other end, Ed Palmer’s powerful free kick was deflected for a corner, and Bath responded with another Stearn cross that eventually fell for Compton, who could only scoop his shot over the bar.

Cooke fired over Southwood’s goal on 71 minutes as ‘The White Tigers’ continued to threaten on the break, but it was the hosts who remained largely in the ascendancy. With ten minutes remaining Morton shot narrowly over the crossbar and, a minute later, worked his way into the Truro box, only for his firm rising drive to fly just over the top of the near post.

As Bath continued to push forward Kelly planted a deep cross into the area from the left, but Stearn’s header from a difficult angle was wide of the far post. Compton’s free kick from 30 yards on 87 minutes was held under the bar by McHale, but the home side had to settle for a point when Dan Ball was mysteriously shown a second yellow card for an infringement on the half way line. The defender appeared extremely unlucky to be the recipient of two very ‘soft’ cautions from a referee who, after an anonymous first half, became increasingly erratic as the game progressed and produced a series of incomprehensible decisions.

There is no doubt that, overall, this was a decent performance from City, but the continued inability to score goals at Twerton Park is concerning. For all their good play and domination today, the fact remains that the Truro goalkeeper did not have a genuinely stretching save to make. Jerry Gill’s side now have a difficult trip to Chelmsford City next Saturday before hosting Concord Rangers on 20th January when, hopefully, the Twerton faithful will have something to cheer.

Bath City: Luke Southwood, Miles Welch-Hayes, Kevin Amankwaah, Dan Ball, Michael Kelly, Frankie Artus, James Morton, Ross Stearn (Jack Batten 90+2), Tom Smith, Jack Compton, Nat Jarvis. Subs not used: Anthony Straker, George Rigg, Ryan Case, Kieran Hodges.

Truro City: Tom McHale, Niall Thompson, Connor Riley-Lowe, Ed Palmer, Alex Hartridge, Jamie Richards, Aaron Lamont, Noah Keats (Jordan Copp 78), Tyler Harvey (Andrew Neal 78), Cody Cooke, Ben Harding. Subs not used: Chris Todd, Stewart Yetton, Billy Palfrey.

Referee: Mr. Alex Blake.

Attendance: 612.

http://forum.romanforum.org.uk/t1898-bath-city-00-truro-city-00

02 January 2018

Truro City 3 Poole Town 1

THE WHITE Tigers started 2018 with a deserved 3-1 victory over Poole Town to complete a festive double over The Dolphins.
It was a perfect start for us as Niall Thompson, in for the injured Billy Palfrey, hit a speculative effort from distance that carried in the wind and beat the ‘keeper to make it 1-0 within the opening two minutes.
The opening exchanges saw us ask the majority of questions and an inviting ball into the danger zone from Tyler Harvey in the tenth minute was scrambled clear ahead of Cody Cooke.
Then Cooke showed good strength to hold off his marker and get in a low strike that was well saved by the visiting ‘keeper.
The wind was certainly playing its part in proceedings and a free-kick from Ed Palmer was delivered deep into the area as the ‘keeper was alert to make a good claim under pressure.
The visitors had their first real opportunity on 18 minutes when Devlin did well to make room for a strike that was on target but well saved by Tom McHale.
A sharp break by The White Tigers ended with Noah Keats denied by the ‘keeper on the edge of the area.
The White Tigers were able to double our advantage on 25 minutes when the visitors failed to clear their lines as Aaron Lamont picked up the loose ball to find Cody Cooke who in turn set up Ben Gerring for a simple chance from close range.
There were chances at either end in the wake of the goal as Lamont and Devlin went close but were unable to add to the scoring.
Some sloppy defensive play by the visitors from a Gerring cross saw the ball cleared as far as Connor Riley-Lowe who picked out Cooke and he was denied by a smart save.
The visitors went close with a deft effort from Devlin which forced McHale into a great save as Poole Town looked to get themselves back into the game as half-time approached.
Good, positive play out wide by Riley-Lowe saw his cross pick out Thompson on the far side and he controlled the ball well before getting in a strike that stung the palms of the visitors’ ‘keeper.
We were good value for our two-goal lead going into the interval but it was the visitors who began the second period with purpose.
A deep cross from the visitors saw McHale do well to fingertip the ball off the head of Moore who was waiting in the middle.
A series of corners from the visitors caused concern before a free-kick in a promising position was deflected just wide. Then Gillespie saw a strike saved well by McHale.
An effort from Cooke was well saved by the ‘keeper who then claimed the resulting corner as we launched a rare foray forward in the second period.
Cooke showed good pace to break away but his strike was dragged just wide of the target. The next raid saw Harvey fire over following some positive play in the build-up from Riley-Lowe.
Neat link-up play between Harvey and Thompson saw the latter get in a strike that was tipped over acrobatically by the ‘keeper.
The all-important third goal arrived courtesy of a purposeful and pacy break on the left which saw Riley-Lowe make it 3-0.
The visitors were able to pull a goal back late on when Balmer’s strike found its way home with the aid of a slight deflection. The same player then saw a powerful drive sail just over before seeing McHale make a great save from point-blank range.
In stoppage time The White Tigers rattled the post then had a goal ruled out for offside as we ran out worthy winners to start the New Year with three points.

WHITE TIGERS: McHale, Thompson, Riley-Lowe, Palmer, Gerring, Richards (Hartridge), Lamont (Allen), Keats, Harvey, Cooke, Harding (Neal). Subs not used: Yetton, Copp.
ATTENDANCE: 573.

http://www.trurocityfc.net/news/report-white-tigers-start-2018-with-a-win-2133139.html