Following the back-to-back cup wins in the week it was back to league action and down to earth with a bump for the Lilywhites.

Truro City made the journey on the back of an excellent away record of four wins and two draws for eight games; meanwhile City were unbeaten at home and proud possessors of a mean defence. Robbie Nightingale and Lee Chaffey were restored to the starting eleven with only Tony Burke available for selection.

As the game unfolded the two teams looked evenly matched. Chaffey’s header from Cambridge’s corner went just over on 3 and Steve Adam’s deflected shot was collected by Zac Barrett a little later. Neither side was really making inroads and taking control and when the opening goal came it was the result of some sloppy defending rather than incisive attacking.

Andy Watkins and Kyle Tooze had combined well but it appeared that Dave Theobald had the situation well under control. However, he was dispossessed and Tooze’s resulting shot/cross was deflected by Les Afful past Barrett and into left hand corner for the opener on 23.

What transpired to be a significant moment happened on 33 minutes when Chaffey received a yellow for what appeared to be a dive by Andy Watkins. Referee Chris Knowles saw it differently, however, and out came the card.

Ash Fuller gets down the wing

Life didn’t improve for the defender when on 33 minutes he had a goal chalked off when Mr Knowles detected a push on a Truro defender before Chaffey had received the ball. No goal, but at least City were playing the game in the right half of the field. 

Just two minutes later, Steve Gentle found his run on goal impeded by Truro skipper Jake Ash, who pulled the striker back in front of the assistant referee – no free kick, no word of warning – nothing. Perhaps this moment typified the sort of day City were enduring.

On 37 minutes, John Kennedy measured a well-weighted pass to Midgley inside the box which keeper Martin Rice blocked, the ball falling to Ashley Fuller who lifted over his effort. Still, these were moments for optimism for the Lilywhites and maybe a goal would come.

In other news: referee Knowles saw fit to card Tooze on 32 but when the same player appeared to use his elbow on 44, the cards stayed firmly buttoned up.

The second half started with Jamie Barker off and Matt Haniver on, leaving Gentle to plough a lonely furrow on his own up front. But it wasn’t that particular change in personnel that was to have the greatest impact on the game. On 49 minutes, Watkins saw Chaffey’s outstretched leg and did everything in his power to make contact and go to ground. Penalty. And a second yellow for Chaffey who until that point had looked City’s best player. However, two soft yellow and the number five had first crack at the showers.

Barry McConnell scored from the spot and with ten men who were chasing a two goal deficit, life didn’t look rosy for the Lilywhites

Watkins continued to exert a powerful thrall over Mr Knowles, who didn’t notice the striker’s elbow on Robbie Nightingale. To make matters worse City were finally floored on 75 thanks again to a soft goal. On this occasion the hawk-eyed Knowles managed to spot James Krause’s foul throw and awarded the throw to the visitors, from which Watkins scored after Barrett could do no better than claw away a shot that fell to the number 9’s feet.

Game well and truly over and the home record gone.

It’s hard to know what to make of this game. Truro were well organised and took whatever came their way well. Their football wasn’t particularly inspiring or fluent but it was mightily effective. Watkins certainly knew how to work the angles with the officials and on this occasion profited handsomely. Another week he might well be the recipient of a yellow for diving – but this was his week.

There were few bright spots for the Lilywhites. The defence was surprisingly frail, midfield conceded possession too easily and up front there was barely a shot in anger from inside the box. Tony Burke’s speed, skill and creatively was badly missed on the right. Perhaps after two hours on a heavy pitch on Wednesday it was too much to expect City to be at their sharpest. There was plenty of effort but little sparkle.

It may sound an odd thing to say about a team that has scored 12 goals in their previous three games but it’s hard to see where the goals will come from in a team that couldn’t get its shots away with any confidence. Let’s hope that Jamie Barker can play the full 90 in midweek, that John Frendo regains his confidence and that Steve Gentle retains his whole hearted effort.

I left the ground in poor spirits that were to sink even lower on hearing that my home team club Leicester City conceded twice in injury time to lose to Cardiff while the Tigers came second against 16-man Ospreys and were out of the Heineken Cup. Marvellous.

Post match reaction Gary Roberts Clearly it’s disappointing to lose our unbeaten home record, but it was always going to be an uphill task after we were reduced to 10 men... more