Torquay United vs Truro City FC: Match Report

Photo Credit: Colin Bradbury

by Gareth Davies, Plainmoor, Saturday

Isuzu FA Trophy Round 2

Torquay United:1 – Truro City:0

Truro City’s FA Trophy hopes were ended at Plainmoor, as Dan Hayfield’s 52nd minute free-kick settled an absorbing tie, which saw the visitors dominate for long spells.

Torquay were indebted to Ex-City incumbent James Hamon, who made three fine saves to keep his former employers at bay.

He was helpless to stop Connor Riley-Lowe firing the ball into the net two minutes before the interval, but curiously, the City captain’s effort was chalked off by the flag of assistant James Long.

Going in at the break ahead would have been the least Truro deserved as they were in the ascendancy during the opening 45 at both ends of the pitch.

But just seven minutes after the restart, Hayfield found the top corner with a magnificent free-kick 25 yards from goal.

Truro settled well into proceedings against the hosts, who were without their manager and former City chief Paul Wotton, as he was forced to watch the game from the stands due to a touchline ban.

In a central position, City were awarded a free-kick after six minutes, when Dom Johnson-Fisher had his shirt tugged by Jordan Dyer, who went into the book. Will Dean struck towards goal, but his effort went over the top.

Johnson-Fisher was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the hosts in the early stages with both Ed Palmer and Dyer given the runaround by the former Whitehawk man.

And shortly after Dean’s sighter, Johnson-Fisher found himself in on goal, denied by a smart low save from Hamon. The resulting corner went into the near post with Hamon called into action once more, to save with his legs on the line.

Dean had another shooting opportunity after 20 minutes when Yassine En-Neyah robbed Palmer of possession, but the effort on goal went narrowly wide.

Such was City’s dominance in midfield and the stout resistance from their three central defenders of Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tom Harrison and Sam Sanders, it took Torquay’s frontline 28 minutes to have any sight of Dan Lavercombe’s goal.

The ball fell to former City favourite Cody Cooke in the box, but several blocks by players in white shirts stopped the home charge.

The game’s big talking point then came just shy of the interval when an Oxlade-Chamberlain cross caused pandemonium in the home box. Firstly, Johnson-Fisher was bundled over by Palmer in the box but the referee played on.

Then Andrew Neal, Johnson-Fisher and Dan Rooney all tried to poke the ball home and it fell to Riley-Lowe, who swept home into the top corner.

Referee Lewis Sandoe signalled a goal and with Torquay trudging back to the centre circle, Hamon rushed over to remonstrate with the assistant who never raised his flag in the first instance.

However, after a period of deliberation, offside was ruled, as the assistant adjudged that two Truro players were in an illegal position, and somehow affecting Hamon’s line of sight.

In the first significant moment after the break, former Bath playmaker Hayfield made no mistake from distance after Dean had impeded Cooke.

But shipping the opening goal did not deter Truro and just shy of the hour mark, Neal was millimetres away from turning Riley-Lowe’s teasing cross, into the corridor of uncertainty, past Hamon.

Just moments later, Neal almost turned provider for Johnson-Fisher, but once again Hamon was Torquay’s saviour.

Levi Andoh, on as a substitute for Ryan Law, nearly claimed a debut assist when he flicked Dean’s free kick into the path of Neal, but once again the ball was just out of the pint sized hitman’s reach.

Dyer then appeared to tug Harrison’s shirt in the box with City wanting a penalty, but the referee waved away the visitors’ claims.

Truro sacrificed a midfielder in favour of another forward with 90 minutes approaching, but Tavonga Kuleya’s introduction couldn’t swing the pendulum towards Askey’s charges and Torquay, with their only significant note of effort, progressed into round three.

City: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harison, Sanders, Riley-Lowe, En-Neyah, Dean, Rooney (Kuleya, 85), Law (Andoh, 73), Neal, Johnson-Fisher (Kabia, 73). Subs not used: Jones, Palfrey.

Torquay: Hamon, Palmer, Dyer, Foulston, Young, Threlkeld, Hayfield, Carson (Jenkins-Davies, 45), Thomas, Cooke, Jeffers (Mussa, 67). Subs not used: Dreyer, Seymour, Tonks.

Referee: Lewis Sandoe

Referee: 1,967

📷Truro City v Torquay Utd 15–11-24

Photo Credit: Colin Bradbury

John Askey’s Match Reaction

Boss John Askey was left frustrated with the decision to chalk off Connor Riley-Lowe’s effort in Truro City’s 1-0 FA Trophy defeat against Torquay United.

The Tinners chief labelled the officials’ decision as ‘bizarre’, with referee Lewis Sandoe signalling for a goal and assistant James Long not flagging. However under pressure from home stopper James Hamon, the two officials converged and offside against two Truro players was ruled.

In a game that City made all the running in, salt was rubbed into visiting wounds seven minutes after the break when Dan Hayfield fired a free-kick into the top corner for the game’s only goal.

Askey said: “(The referee) said that there were two players in an offside position, blocking the ‘keeper’s view, when Connor shot, that was his excuse. He actually gave the goal, but went over to the linesman and because we haven’t got anything like VAR, I don’t know what the consultation was about.

“The ball has gone into the top corner and the goalkeeper has got no chance of saving it so the decision is bizarre.

“I know Torquay have had one or two dodgy decisions go against them in the last few weeks, so do referees talk and try and even themselves up? But we have had loads of dodgy decisions go against us, but you have to get on with it.

“I was pleased with how we played and I thought we dominated the majority of the 90 minutes, but we just didn’t take our chances. We created a lot of good opportunities, but couldn’t finish them off.”

Despite the defeat and early exit from the FA Trophy, Askey said that in the long run, for his side who currently occupy second in the National League South standings, this loss may be viewed as ‘a blessing in disguise’.

“We will be judged on our league finish even though it is nice to have a run in any cup, if you can get to the final,” the 60-year-old added.

“Long-term, with the size of the squad we have, this loss could be a blessing in disguise. We had to make changes today with Tyler Harvey missing, due to the quad injury he suffered against Boreham Wood.

“If it was a league or a cup game, Tyler wouldn’t have played and Jaze was struggling with the cut near his eye and he had to have stitches at Boreham Wood.

“We were unsure if Tom (Harrison) would be fit at the back but I thought he was immense, winning every header. Him and Christian (Oxlade-Chamberlain) are carrying knocks, but they battled through.”

📷Truro City v Torquay Utd 15–11-24

Photo Credit: Colin Bradbury