Truro City 3 Hampton & Richmond Borough 3
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- Created on Sunday, 18 December 2011 18:36
- Written by Rob Overfield
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Beavers deprived of points in windy Truro
There are many puzzling and unexplainable phenomena in the universe, those of the Beaver Army who travelled to the West Country will add to it the total of 5 ½ minutes of added time that referee Hopkins of Plymouth found at the end of this match. It enabled Truro City to snatch a point from a game they'd not really been in the running for, writes Rob Overfield.
The Beavers opened slightly the better, and yet went behind to a soft goal on 7 minutes. A cross from the right from Walker found Truro captain Jake Ash unmarked in the box, and he guided the ball past Craig Ross into the net.
It took a while for the team to get over this, and the early substitution of Paul Johnson for Tom Hickey did not make it any easier for them. Slowly the likes of James Simmonds and the midfield got back into the game and on 37 minutes, Joel Ledgister latched onto a pass, turned inside and finished past Brooks with some relish.
5 minutes later, the Beavers took the lead through a simple finish from Josh Huggins. The defence stood still as he ghosted through the offisde trap, rounded Brooks and slid the ball home. The team were on top, and Truro were looking bewidered by the turnaround.
The second half saw the home team come out with renewed vigour, and on 58 minutes, they got an equaliser through a penalty for what turned out to be a handball decision on the line. To my eyes it looked slightly more of ball to hand but referee Hopkins gave it and Walker buried the ball past Ross.
The game now opened up as both teams went for the winner, and it was looking like the next team to score would indeed win. Tarpey scuffed a shot past the post when he might have thought about rounding the keeper, and then a Jake Ash fizzer flew just past the post.
Dave Tarpey had been looking like he'd be unsuccessful in from of goal, but on 72 minutes, he showed the kind of striker he'd become. He took a pass from James Simmonds on the edge of the box, swivelled and finished sweetly with his left foot past Brooks for what looked like the winner.
The thin red line was holding out, despite Dan Smith's powerful run and shot flying wide with just 3 minutes left. As the game entered added time, the amount of which had not been indicated, Truro's pressure was relentless as minutes 1, 2 and 3 passed, and the splendid travelling Beaver Army began to believe that three points was coming back to the Beveree, However, the official from Plymouth decided otherwise. In the 4th minute of the undetermined amount of added time, he awarded Truro a second penalty, for what was deemed to be a foul challenge.
Craig Ross stepped up though and pushed away the kick round the post for what many thought would be the end of the game. The referee decreed there was time for corner, and some 10 seconds after the kick was taken, Jake Ash scrambled the ball in. The anger and frustration of the team erupted, and they protested furiously before the restart, after which the referee found another 20 seconds before ending the game.
The protests were loud and long after the final whistle and even your reporter was moved to utter angry words in the press box. However, no blame can be attached to the lads who gave their all on a soft pitch, battling through the gusty crosswind on the exposed Treyew Road ground, against a Truro City side that knew they'd been fortunate.
Truro City 3
Ash 7, 90+4
Walker 58
Hampton & Richmond Borough 3
Ledgister 37
Huggins 42
Tarpey 72
Att: 348
Team: Ross, Ferrell, Johnson (Hickey 17), Inman, Ruby (c), Andrews (Beadle 56), Collier, Huggins, Tarpey, Simmonds (Moone 90), Ledgister.
Subs: Thompson, Morgan.
