Tiverton Town vs Truro City: Match Report

Photo Credit: Chaos Digital

Pre-Season Friendly

Tiverton Town: 0 – Truro City: 3

Gareth Davies, Ladysmead, Friday

Truro City recorded their third consecutive pre-season victory with a dominant showing over Tiverton Town.

The game was almost over as a contest inside the opening 15 minutes after goals from Will Dean and Dom Johnson-Fisher put Truro in complete control.

City should have added more to their tally as the first half wore on but Tiverton did have a purple patch before the break.

Through former Torquay United midfielder Asa Hall, he forced Dan Lavercombe into a wonderful save and hit the woodwork as the below-par hosts suddenly sprung into life.

City’s goal remained intact, though, and after the break, Truro’s dominance at both ends of the pitch continued. With Lavercombe reduced to the role of spectator, the Tinners did find a third goal as time ticked down through C Trialist.

Truro, playing their first match for two weeks after last Saturday’s game away to Tavistock was cancelled owing to a waterlogged pitch, raced from the traps with both Johnson-Fisher and Ben Adelsbury going close early on.

The deadlock was then broken after 10 minutes after a scintillating counter-attack.  Dean, who was outstanding before he was withdrawn five minutes from time, switched play from tight to the right touchline out to the opposite flank.

A pinpoint pass found Ryan Law who crossed deep and with Dean continuing his run, the Exeter City academy graduate headed past Joe Manning at the back post.

Almost from the restart, Truro then doubled their lead with Tiverton very much the architects of their own downfall, leaving one-time City boss Leigh Robinson to cut a forlorn figure from the home technical area.

Trying to play out from the back, Tiverton lost the ball and with Johnson-Fisher in on goal, he finished low past Manning.

With Tiverton at something far worse than sixes and sevens, City should have had a third shortly after Johnson-Fisher’s strike. Seidou Sanogo drove forward from deep with purpose and after finding Tyler Harvey in space on the edge of the box, City’s talisman didn’t connect fully with the ball and Manning was able to save.

As the half wore on, Tiverton did finally settle into proceedings and Niall Thompson, one of several City connections who now calls Ladysmead home, produced two teasing crosses into the visiting box which were well defended.

Another foray forward from Thompson was only half cleared 11 minutes before the break and the ball fell to Hall on the edge of the box. He volleyed towards goal and at full stretch, Lavercombe saved brilliantly.

That chance was the catalyst for two more close shaves for City as Jay Murray’s curler went just past the post before Hall beat Lavercombe with another effort from distance, only to see the ball crash off the crossbar.

In between the chances for Murray and Hall, City came close again as Dean and Johnson-Fisher were thwarted by Manning in the same passage of play.

After the turnaround, City dominated the ball for long periods and created further chances while defending solidly at the other end.

On the hour, Johnson-Fisher pressed Manning into action again and then with 15 minutes left, Dean and Harvey combined only for substitute C Trialist to fire over the bar.

B Trilaist, who replaced A Trialist at the interval, then looked like he would continue an impressive pre-season campaign with a goal, but the overworked Manning denied him low down.

As the game approached its final stages, City found another gear and much joy down the left flank. Yassine En-Neyah, on his second coming as a Truro player, fed Harvey after great work by Law and only a last-ditch block stopped Tiverton conceding again.

Finally a third goal for Truro did duly arrive nine minutes from time and an exceptional visiting press won the ball in the Tiverton half. En-Neyah fed the onrushing C Trialist who lifted the ball over an advancing Manning with a fine finish.

City were rampant in the final stages as Tiveton’s goal led a charmed life. Firstly, Law hit the bar before substitute Owen Royes headed goalwards only to be denied by a wonderful Manning save.

Sonogo seemed certain to score the follow-up from close range but once again, desperate Tiverton defending saw the ball go wide.

That was the last action of note as Truro continue to impress under new boss John Askey with the small matter of a local derby against fierce Cornish rivals Falmouth Town next up on Tuesday for the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy.

City: Lavercombe (M Jones, 85), Adelsbury (Royes, 85), Harrison, Sanders, A Trialist (B Trialist, 45), Dean (Burt, 85), Sonogo, Palfrey (En-Neyah, 59), Harvey (Higgins, 85), Johnson-Fisher (C Trialist, 73).

Tiverton: Manning, Thompson, Gleeson, Wright, Hall, Parker, Jeremy, A Trialist, Murray, Gerring, B Trialist. Subs: (all used) D Jones, Metherell, Ebdon, Thomas, Carter, Timms-Ahern.

Referee: Bailey Walker

Attendance: 182