By Rhod Mitchell
LINK
Truro City 2 Ebbsfleet United 5
A rousing second half fightback from City was not enough to save them from an FA Trophy first round exit at the hands of the Conference Premier visitors.
 |
| Les' stunning strike to make it one each |
While the Kent side, who lifted the trophy in 2008, were worthy winners, City were left to regret a disappointing first half performance.
City went in 3-1 down at the break and soon conceded a fourth, but then put Ebbsfleet under considerable pressure, pulling a goal back with Les Afful's second of the game before conceding a late fifth.
City were badly hit by injuries for the tie, with skipper Jake Ash, Barry Hayles and Marcus Martin all ruled out, with Cody Cooke coming in for his first start.
Stewart Yetton was named on the bench but would not have come on because of injury.
And the game got off to a bad start for the home side when they went behind after only two minutes with Liam Enver-Marum was allowed to rise unchallenged to head home Michael West's corner.
But out of the blue Les Afful shot them level with a snap shot from the edge of the area in the 20th minute.
However, City's joy lasted less than two minutes as West put Ebbsfleet 2-1 up when he ran through and beat Tim Sandercombe with a powerful shot.
And when Nathan Pinney, who looked to have used his hand to control the ball, made it 3-1 from Ranbir Marwa's left cross City were in big trouble.
Enver-Marum added Ebbsfleet's fourth seven minutes into the second half before City raised their game with Afful pulling a goal back with a neat finish.
Andy Watkins should have scored a third for City, but headed straight at Preston Edwards in the Ebbsfleet goal, while player-manager Lee Hodges, who had come on for Cooke, headed against the top of the bar.
Watkins also had strong appeals for a penalty turned down before Enver-Marum completed his hat-trick right on time to wrap up the win and place in the last 16.
After the game City boss Lee Hodges said he was bitterly disappointed.
He said: "I thought we gave them too much respect in the first half. But we gave it a real go in the second half."
Sandercombe; McConnell, Pugh, Adams (capt), Walker, Watkins, Palmer, Broad, Cooke (Hodges 63), Smith, Afful.
Truro City:
Subs (not used): Brooks, Yetton, Conibear-Trathen.
Ebbsfleet Utd: Edwards; Stone, Lorraine (capt), West (Darvill 90), Marwa, Willcock (Shakes 63), Phipp, Howe, Enver-Marum, Mambo, Pinney (Barrett 79).
Subs (not used): Simpemba, Welch.
Goals: Enver-Marum (2) 0-1, Afful (19) 1-1, West (20) 1-2, Pinney (28) 1-3; Enver-Marum (52) 1-4; Afful (55) 2-4; Enver-Marum (90) 2-5.
Referee: Chris Powell (Poole).
Crowd: 445.
