Truro City were forced to settle for a point after nine man Aldershot Town snatched a stoppage-time equaliser from the penalty spot to seal a 2-2 draw at the TCS, writes Tom Howe.
The Tinners, who had looked on course for back-to-back victories, turned the game on its head with second half goals from Ryan Law and Tyler Harvey cancelling out Kwame Thomas’ opener, which came seconds before the break.
However, despite playing over 50 minutes with ten men, after goalkeeper Marcus Dewhurst was adjudged to have denied a goal scoring opportunity, and later nine after Cameron Hargreaves was shown a quick fire double yellow, the Shots kept plugging away.
They eventually pegged City back, deep into added time, when James Henry scored from 12 yards to ensure the spoils were shared in front of 2,310 supporters, 176 of which had travelled from Hampshire to cheer on May’s FA Trophy winners.
It was an explosive first half, with Rekeil Pyke and Yassine En-Neyah immediately troubling the Shots’ back line and Harry Kite – the one change to the side that beat Boston United on Saturday, coming in for the injured Jake Taylor – swinging in a series of dangerous corners. Zac Bell, Law and skipper Harvey all went close as City looked to break the deadlock.
The game swung in the 40th minute when visiting custodian Dewhurst came racing off his line and tangled with Pyke, prompting referee James Durkin to show a straight albeit controversial red card. Yet it was the visitors who struck first when, against the run of play, Thomas turned home in first-half stoppage time to put the ten men ahead.
City regrouped after the restart and Law, one of the standout performers on the night, produced a superb curling finish on 65 minutes to level matters. It was fitting that, just moments later, a minute’s applause rang out in memory of former City striker John Hawke, who sadly passed away last week aged 66 and would no doubt have been proud of such a finish.
The Tinners continued to pour forward, with full debutant Kite delivering corner after corner that kept the Shots under pressure and forced substitute ‘keeper Ryan Nash into a string of saves.
He could do little in the 85th minute however, when Harvey pounced inside the box to notch his second goal in as many games and put City 2-1 up, with the Shots having been temporarily reduced to nine men as Will Nightingale received treatment off the pitch.
Aldershot’s frustration spilled over, with Hargreaves receiving two quickfire bookings in stoppage time to reduce the visitors to nine permanently. There was to be a sting in the tail though, as Henry converted from the spot in the seventh minute of five added on to deny City a second win on the bounce, ensuring a share of the points left Cornwall.
Truro: Stone, Bell (Johnson-Fisher, 80), Dean, Sanders, En-Neyah, Rooney, Harvey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Pyke, Law, Kite (Jephcott, 75). Subs Not Used: Lavercombe, Riley-Lowe, Hasani, Starkie, Donnellan
Aldershot: Dewhurst, Hargreaves, Thomas, Barrett (Ghandour, 68), Penman (Jackson, 82), Hill (Jones, 82), Nightingale, Taylor, Abrahams (Nash, 43), Clarridge, Tetek (Henry 68); Subs Not Used: Rai, Widdrington.
Referee: James Durkin
Attendance: 2,310 – including 176 travelling fans.
