Truro City 0 StainesTown 3

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Saturday 16th February 2013 (3pm) – Blue Square Bet Conference (South)

TRURO CITY (0) 0  STAINES TOWN (1) 3  

Staines returned from their 500 mile round trip to Cornwall in buoyant mood, after posting a convincing victory against the bottom club, and in doing so improved their own perilous position.  Furthermore, spending nearly 36 hours in each other’s company was excellent for team spirit.  There were several setbacks before departure, however, as Player/Assistant Manager Scott Taylor had been unwell all week and was unable to travel, and then Matt Drage (toe) and Jordaan Brown (a groin injury that could keep him out for a couple of weeks) withdrew through injury.  And at a final training session just before the 2pm departure on Friday, young back-up goalkeeper Adam Faith damaged his finger, leaving Swans no option but to recall Kyle Merson from his loan at Walton & Hersham to fulfil this duty.  The squad was however boosted by the loan signing of central defender Douglas Bergqvist from Aldershot Town, and he was to have an impressive début.  In view of the journey, Marcus Gayle wisely brought a squad of 17, and young defender Qaseem Sotonwa was pleased to be part of the experience, even though he did not figure on the team-sheet.  Truro, whose season was damaged by financial strictures and a points deduction, had achieved an excellent win over Hayes last week, but then lost their leading scorer Kieffer Moore to Dorchester.  

The weather had been poor in the preceding days, but City’s staff had clearly worked hard on it, sanding where necessary and evening it out as far as possible.  On the day, it was chilly but bright, with a cold wind blowing into Staines’ faces as they attacked the clubhouse end in the first half.  Truro had undertaken promotions to boost the crowd in what they saw as a season-defining clash, but among the 478 spectators were 40 Staines fans, including Alan Cox, their left-back from the 1960s who now lives in Cornwall.

Staines made their intentions clear from the start, with Marsh heading wide and Max Worsfold seeing a low drive deflecting past the post for a corner.  The White Tigers rallied, and on 18 mins saw a Martin Watts free-kick deflect for a corner.  The flag-kick was curled towards the far post where it was met by a stooping header from Andrew Watkins: it looked like a double disaster for Staines, as not only did the ball nestle into the corner of the net, but ‘keeper Jack Turner crashed his thigh against the post and needed several minutes of treatment before he could continue, albeit limping for a while.  However, when play resumed it was with a goal kick and not a centre, as the linesman had spotted that the corner kick had curled out of play before coming back on.  Staines bounced back with Worsfold again going close and a powerful run by Marsh ending in him pulling the ball back to skipper David Wheeler, whose effort was cleared off the line by Calron Hall.  There was a lingering worry that Staines would once again fail to turn a period of dominance into tangible advantage, and this was heightened when Les Afful threatened, with a shot that went just over the bar.  Truro then suffered not one but two collisions between their own men, in and the second, skipper Jake Ash suffered a groin injury after bumping into Watts, and had to be replaced by Paul Kendall on 29 minutes, leaving them with an untried centre-back partnership, and with the armband going to Marcus Martin.  Staines exploited the situation ruthlessly, with a swift, two pronged attack resulting in the opener on 34 minutes.  Worsfold powered down the left before switching the ball to Lewis Ferrell on the opposite flank, and his centre was bravely met by Tyrone Marsh, just beating Paul Hider to the ball to guide it beyond him and into the net.  The home side responded well, forcing a string of corners to take their tally to 8 in the first half – the most dangerous of them was almost curled in by Watts before Turner palmed it away for another, and this was taken by Afful and headed just over by Watkins.  Referee O’Brien booked a player from each side in the 43rd and 44th mins.  Kendall baulked Wheeler as he tried to dart dangerously between two defenders near the halfway line, and – having received a talking-to for his reaction – Ferrell quickly committed a foul and had his name taken.

Last season, Staines had thrown away a 1-0 lead on this ground, but that prospect was minimised when just 90 seconds into the second half they doubled their lead.  Following a corner, Worsfold crossed low into the box, Wheeler’s first time shot was scrabbled away by Hider, but Doug Bergqvist followed in to force the ball home.  At this point, Truro’s officials, who were excellent hosts all afternoon, seemed to sense that their faint hopes of avoiding the drop had probably expired.  Lodge picked up a 51st min caution for delaying a free-kick, Marsh again went close, before Turner had to save from a long range Watts free-kick.  Jack Mills was introduced in the 61st min, and it took him just 2 minutes to set up Staines’ clinching third goal with a pinpoint corner that was met with a powerful header by Sam Page, securing the joint-second biggest away win of Staines’ Conference career.  Truro made a double substitution, and then had Hall booked for a 74th min foul on Worsfold, before Erivaldo Felix was brought on for his first taste of Conference action, replacing Ferrell – a precautionary measure to allow him to rest a foot injury.  Bergqvist was booked for an 81st min foul, before Tony Garrod was introduced and within a couple of mins might have won his side a late penalty as he latched onto a Worsfold throw-in but saw his intended cross strike a defender’s arm.  In stoppage time, Ashley Lodge was unlucky to see his drive just clear the bar following a good lay off by Felix, but Staines and the Massive were delighted with the 3-0 win that lifted them to 16th in the table.

Staines: Turner, Ferrell (Felix 78), Worsfold, Bergqvist, Page, Ifil, Wheeler ©, Ferguson, Marsh (Garrod 85), Beadle (Mills 61), Lodge; unused Merson (g), Bor.

Truro: Hider, Hall, Watts (Williams 71), Gerring, Ash © (Kendall 29), Broad, Cooke, Martin, Hayles (Wright 71), Watkins, Afful; unused Hodges.

Ref: John O’Brien (Earlsfield, London SW18); ARs: Ian Pattison (Helston, Cornwall), Steve Annis (Penzance, Cornwall); att 478.