Hampton & Richmond Borough VS Truro City FC: Match Report

Photo credit: Carlton Myrie – Truro’s Ed Palmer closing down Hampton & Richmond Borough midfielder Josh Anifowose

Match Report

by Gareth Davies, Beveree Stadium, Saturday

Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 , Truro City 0

Truro City’s fine recent winning run on the road was ended by 10-man Hampton & Richmond Borough.

Before they arrived on the banks of the River Thames, Paul Wotton’s side had recorded consecutive away triumphs against Weston-super-Mare, Torquay United and Dover Athletic.

And despite Hampton & Richmond having to play the majority of the second stanza a man light, after Ruaridh Donaldson was shown a straight red-card, substitute Isaac Pitblado’s 78th minute goal ensured the points remained in the capital.

Truro made two changes from the starting line-up which took to the field against Braintree Town seven days previously. Debutant Ryan Kavanagh started in midfield after joining Truro on loan from Cardiff City for the rest of the season.

And also in midfield, Adam Porter recovered from a thigh injury with both Dan Rooney and Ryan Brett dropping to the bench, where they were joined by Ollie Bray, City’s second loan acquisition this week.

After the opening exchanges were even, the Beavers took the lead after 12 minutes. Defender Dan Wishart found his way to the byline and his brilliant cut back was hammered home by Tope Fadahunsi.

The Sutton United forward, who is currently on loan to Borough, left James Hamon with no chance as the ball found the roof of the net.

Despite City falling behind and being dominated in the possession stakes, the hosts struggled to seriously test Hamon in the City goal for the remainder of the half. Truro did have to defend corners and there were balls in the box which caused alarm, but the Cornish outfit defended well.

At the other end, Truro strike duo Tyler Harvey and Andrew Neal were well marshalled by the Beavers’ rearguard until the 35th minute when the former had City’s best chance of the half. Connor Riley-Lowe fed Neal who controlled the ball on his chest and fed Harvey, whose first time effort went narrowly wide of Adam Desbois’ right hand post.

Neal was withdrawn at the break and replaced by Bray who made an immediate impact less than 60 seconds after half-time. Riley-Lowe won the ball inside the Beavers’ box and Bray was on hand to poke home.

His first touch in a City shirt had drawn the visitors level and immediately the game’s pendulum swung towards the away side when the red mist descended on Donaldson. The Scottish left-back appeared to clash with Riley-Lowe and after both sets of players remonstrated with each other, referee Nicholas Dunn brandished a red card.

The next 15 minutes saw Truro dominate and Bray had two headed efforts that went close before the hosts were forced to clear the ball off the line twice in the same passage of play.

But Hampton gradually grew back into the game and two heroic blocks from defenders Ed Palmer and Tom Harrison kept the score level until 12 minutes from time when Pitblado rose highest to head home.

City pushed a second equaliser as time ticked down and in the dying embers, Harrison headed over but the hosts held on to record a hard-fought triumph.

City: Hamon, Riley-Lowe, Palmer, Sanders, Harrison, Law, Porter (Rooney, 71), Dean, Kavanagh (Johnson-Fisher, 80), Neal (Bray, 45), Harvey. Subs not used: Sullivan, Brett

Hampton & Richmond Borough: Desbois, Donaldson, Dreyer, Seymour (Bloomfield, 82), Gray, Deadfield, Fadahunsi, Wishart, Revan, Anifowose (Pitblado, 52). Subs not used: Hall, Kurran-Browne

Referee: Nicholas Dunn

Attendance: 1119

Match Reaction from Paul Wotton

Boss Paul Wotton says his Truro City side must ‘regroup quickly’ after going down 2-1 to Hampton & Richmond Borough away from home on Saturday.

City’s first away game for close to a month saw Wotton’s charges fall behind after just 12 minutes when Tope Fadahunsi emphatically finished past James Hamon.

A tepid opening stanza saw no further goalmouth action of significant note but less than 60 seconds after the restart, City were level.

Ollie Bray, who replaced Andrew Neal at the break, poked home after great work by Connor Riley-Lowe to score with his first touch of the ball in a City shirt.

And the visitors were handed a numerical advantage shortly after when Beavers’ defender Ruaridh Donaldson was sent-off for violent conduct. But City couldn’t capitalise and 12 minutes from time, substitute Isaac Pitbaldo headed what turned out to be the winning goal.

“We are disappointed and in the first half I didn’t think we got going,” Wotton told trurocityfc.co.uk. “Hampton are around the top of the league and we actually restricted them to one chance which they scored.

“We have to stop conceding the first goal and we have to stop conceding silly goals. We weren’t a threat in the first half but neither were Hampton so it was comfortable for both sides.

“We got in at half-time and it was important we went in at only 1-0 down. We spoke to the boys, they upped their levels and then in the second-half, we get a dream start.

“Ollie’s first touch for the club he scores and then for the next 15 minutes, we are in the ascendancy as we were doing all the things we asked (the players) to do.

“Then they have the lad sent off and we stopped doing the things that we had asked them to do.

“I said to the lads at half-time that if the players do the things I ask them to do and we lose, then that is my fault. I am big enough and ugly enough to put my hands up to that.

“But if we go off plan, we struggle because we are a good football team, but we are at our best when we do the things we are good at.

“I thought we had lots of chances in the second-half to put the ball down the sides of their two centre backs with real quality because we had genuine pace up top.

“We stopped doing that but fair play to Hampton because Mel (Gwinett, Hampton & Richmond Borough manager) was brave and kept two up top and pushed his full-backs on.

“Overall, (the result) is disappointing but we have got a ton of games this month. Be disappointed, be down, but we need to regroup quickly and go again on Tuesday against a manager and a team that I respect hugely.

“We know we have got a real fight on our hands.”

Despite the reverse, City’s first in four away outings, Wotton was full of praise for his side’s latest two loan acquisitions. Ryan Kavanagh joined from Cardiff City until the end of the season while Bray has made a temporary one-month switch from Aldershot Town.

“I thought Ollie’s impact was that he scored straight away,” Wotton added. “He was a threat and perhaps could have done better with another couple of headers.

“He was in and around the box and I liked what I saw.

“Kav grew into the game and I only took him off near the end to get Dom Johnson-Fisher on to score us a goal. Ryan is tenacious, he puts his foot in and I really like that in a player.

“He’s fuming that we lost so that is good sign but overall, I thought both new boys did well.”