United 0
Truro City 1
(Adelsbury 19′)
There was Boxing Day frustration for United, as Truro City emerged as winners at Plainmoor.
Ben Adelsbury gave the White Tigers the lead early on, and despite United’s best efforts, that proved to be the game’s deciding moment.
United manager Gary Johnson made two changes from the defeat at Chelmsford, with Will Jenkins Davies and Brett McGavin replacing Dillon De Silva and Ryan Hanson in the starting line-up.
The first chance fell the way of the visitors, as a right-wing cross found itself rather fortuitously through to Adam Porter, and with Mark Halstead grounded following a slip, it was left to a brave block from Ollie Tomlinson to deflect the ball away from the empty net in the 4th minute.
Halstead himself came to the rescue seven minutes later, as Harvey Greenslade’s drive through the centre of The Gulls’ defence prompted Torquay’s No.1 to come out and smother the City forward’s effort.
Truro were certainly in the ascendancy, and it took a marvellous double-save from Halstead again on 15 minutes, as a slip from Collins allowed Greenslade to twice fire at goal from eight yards out, before Tomlinson’s point-blank block saw the ball away to safety.
Sadly those warnings weren’t heeded, and Truro took the lead on 19 minutes.
Having defended so well off corners for the majority of the season, it was once again a flag-kick that undid Johnson’s men, with Adelsbury this time rising high above his opponents to head the ball into the net.
United did start to rouse themselves following the goal, although it did take them a little while to seriously threaten.
When they did, they couldn’t have come much closer, as superb work from Jenkins Davies on the left flank saw the ball played out to McGavin on the edge of the D, with the midfielder desperately unlucky to see his curling effort not only cannon off Jamon Hamon’s left-hand post, but also rebound straight back to the former Gulls stopper.
As the match headed towards the interval, Torquay maintained the territorial advantage, and chances started to come their way as a result of it.
A perfectly-timed through ball saw Theo Williams force the advancing Hamon into a brave stop, and the ‘keeper had to swiftly get back between the sticks, as McGavin again took aim from just outside the box – this time Hamon steered his low strike past his left-hand post.
The scoreline though, remained stubbornly steadfast and unaltered as the two sets of players made their way off the pitch for the half-time interval.
The second period initially saw the men in yellow pick up where they left off, as substitute De Silva’s right-wing cross saw Williams attempt a first-time effort eight yards from goal, with Hamon relieved to see the effort just go wide of the woodwork.
Unfortunately things stalled a little thereafter, and their opponents steadied the ship, without posing Johnson’s men too many problems themselves.
With Truro beginning to sit deeper and deeper to protect their lead, rather than expand upon it, United’s stranglehold on possession saw the belief remain, and in the final fifteen minutes City found themselves setting up camp inside their own half.
Twice Lewis Collins saw 20-yard piledrivers saved by Hamon in quick succession, with Ryan Hanson’s downward header also cleared off the line.
Williams saw a thunderous volley blocked at source – appeals for an offending hand were left unanswered – before Dean Moxey saw his dipping long-ranger clip the top of the crossbar.
Still the deficit remained though.
Even the addition of eight additional minutes couldn’t save Torquay, as Truro held on to celebrate victory.
With the two sides meeting again in just four days, United will be hoping for better luck next time around.
UNITED: 1. Mark Halstead, 6. Ross Marshall, 10. Lewis Collins, 14. Brett McGavin, 18. Will Jenkins Davies (7. Ryan Hanson, 69′), 19. Theo Williams (2. Dylan Crowe, 82′), 21. Dean Moxey (c), 23. Ollie Tomlinson, 26. Archie Harris, 30. Ethon Archer, 32. Osman Foyo (17. Dillon De Silva, 38′).
SUBS NOT USED: 3. Dan Martin, 22. Rhys Lovett.
Yellow Cards: Foyo 35′
TRURO CITY: 1. James Hamon, 3. Connor Riley-Lowe (c) , 4. Ben Adelsbury, 5. Ed Palmer, 7. Adam Porter (12. Dan Rooney, 53′), 8. Will Dean (16. Matt Buse, 65′), 9. Tyler Harvey, 11. Ryan Brett, 17. Harvey Greenslade (15. Andrew Neal, 71′), 18. Tom Harrison, 20. Ryan Law.
SUBS NOT USED: 2. James Melhado, 10. Dan Sullivan.
Yellow Cards: Porter 51′, Harvey 56′, Palmer 73′, Neal 90′
Attendance: 3,764 (72 away)