MATCH REPORT - Dartford 5 Truro City 3 - 18/03/2017

It was a positive start to the game for Lee Hodges’ side and we managed to deservedly get our noses in front in the 13th minute when Rocky Neal found the net.
There were loud penalty appeals shortly afterwards when Neal was brought down but the referee was unimpressed and allowed play to continue.
An inviting corner on 25 minutes found its way over to the far post where Ben Gerring failed to get his effort on target.
Despite looking the most likely side, we were pegged back on the half-hour mark when Andy Pugh levelled the scores.
All of a sudden it was Dartford who were on top as the opening period came to a close and they capitalised on a spell of pressure with Elliott Bradbrook putting them in front four minutes from the break.
The second period started with renewed optimism for Truro as firstly appeals for a penalty for handball were waved away and then Tyler Harvey rattled the woodwork with a strike.
A header from Cody Cooke landed just the wrong side of the post as we began the second half in much the same vein as the first half.
Just past the hour-mark, Ryan Brett’s strike was deflected inches wide but it wasn’t long until it was 2-2 when a free-kick was pumped into the danger zone and Neal was on hand to head home his second of the afternoon.
We were good value to be on level terms but it only lasted three minutes before Luke Wanadio gave Dartford the lead once more.
Despite the disappointment, we refused to let our heads drop and kept plugging away to make life uncomfortable for our hosts.
As another teasing ball came into the area, Jamie Richards did well to turn the ball home and make it 3-3 on 78 minutes.
After Neal went close with his hat-trick in mind, our hearts were broken four minutes from the end as Pugh was able to notch his second with a scrappy goal.
It meant that we had to go for it but this left us exposed at the back as Tom Murphy made it 5-3 right at the death to add some gloss to the scoreline.
The game was certainly an entertaining one, it’s just a pity that we had nothing to show for our efforts.

TRURO CITY: Rice, Smith, Richards,Hartridge, Cook (Adelsbury 84), Gerring (Pugh 78), Brett, Harvey (Thompson 84), Yetton, Knowles, Neal. Subs not used: Allen, Afful.