Aidan Marsh’s second half strike was not enough for a Truro City side beaten 3-1 at a damp Hartlepool United, writes Tom Howe.

Marsh’s first goal on the road for the Tinners cancelled out Adam Campbell’s opener midway through the first half.

It came at a time that City found themselves on top and, had he been able to repeat the dose moments later, would have left John Askey’s men on the cusp of an impressive maiden away win in the National League.

Narrow margins went against the Tinners however, as the pint-sized forward missed by inches, leaving Hartlepool able to capitalise and seal three points via late goals from Jamie Miley and Alex Reid.

Tuesday’s National League Cup outing against West Ham United under-21s afforded City boss Askey an opportunity to provide minutes for a number of fringe and returning players.

That contingent included defender Tom Harrison, who followed 90 strong minutes with another starting berth, his first full league outing for the Tinners since a 1-1 draw against Weymouth on February 25th.

Marsh was among the starters too, having also completed the full 90 in midweek and, as a result, clocked up his first National League minutes in some six weeks.

Dan Lavercombe, Will Dean and Tyler Harvey were also in from the off, as were in-form pair Lirak Hasani and Connor Riley-Lowe, who was restored as captain after assisting the Kosovan midfielder’s brace against Sutton United seven days prior.

The Pools, sat five points and two places off the play-offs going into the game, continued under the tutelage of interim boss Nicky Featherstone, who stepped into the breach following the sacking of manager Simon Grayson early last month.

It marks a first stretch in the dugout for the veteran, following almost 500 appearances for a team affectionately known as the Monkey Hangers.

His side traded half-chances with the travelling Tinners in the early stages at Victoria Park, as Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain shot wide of George Evans’ upright, while Campbell failed to keep an effort on target at the other end. Truro’s staunch rearguard action, led chiefly by Harrison and Dean, meant Lavercombe had very few touches of the ball prior to picking it out of his net following Campbell’s speculative opener on 23 minutes.

Not unfamiliar to conceding first, the hardworking visitors reacted well to the challenge laid down for them and carved out another opening in the moments that followed, with Maxim Kouogun getting his body in the way of Harvey’s flick at goal. Harrison then kept a cool head to cover off Campbell, who would otherwise have been presented with a gilt-edged chance to double his tally in what were incessant rainy conditions, sufficient enough to cause concern as to whether the match would even go ahead.

The pendulum swung back and forth, with Dean shooting over the bar for City and Matty Daly striking wide for the Pools, but it was Truro who ended the opening half strongest as impressive West Bromwich Albion loanee Cole Deeming worked himself half a yard on the edge of the box and arrowed an effort narrowly over the crossbar of a scrambling Evans.

There were muted celebrations four minutes after the restart as Reid lifted the ball over Lavercombe against the backdrop of the linesman’s flag. It only served to fuel the fire inside the bellies of those in red and black, who began to build an assault on the home goal.

Hasani’s persistence resulted in a cross well-fielded by Evans while Harvey came within inches of meeting Riley-Lowe’s ball into the corridor of uncertainty. The old adage of ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again’ rang true as, at the third attempt in the second stanza, City hauled themselves level with Marsh finally banging down the door after good work from Deeming.

Marsh was a sheet of paper away from meeting Oxlade-Chamberlain’s excellent cross and completing the turnaround prior to a warning sign that saw Lavercombe make a superb stop before being indebted to Harrison, who made an equally impressive challenge to keep the Pools at bay.

The warning went unheeded though, as, despite the Tinners best efforts, they went behind again. Pharrell Brown’s shot was tipped onto the post by Lavercombe, who watched as the ball fell kindly for the hosts to go back ahead through Miley’s stunner.

On came Dan Rooney, Saikou Janneh and Luke Jephcott as Askey through caution to the considerable wind but it was Featherstone’s men who underlined their top half credentials. Tom Parkes nodded the ball against the bar before City’s defence, on their own goal line, scrambled it away from danger. There was nothing they could do in time added on though, as Reid hit the target to complete their triumph.

While the victors move within two points of the play-offs, the result keeps Cornwall’s step one history makers bottom of the table and nearly three wins adrift. An upturn in performances bodes promise ahead of a busy December though, with five matches in a 17 day period that could go a long way to setting up a huge second half of the season.

Match Facts

Tinners: Lavercombe, Riley-Lowe (capt) (Janneh, 79), Dean, Harrison, Harvey, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hasani, Law, Donnellan, Marsh (Jephcott, 82), Deeming (Rooney, 75); Subs Not Used: Stone, Bell, En-Neyah, Kinsey

Hartlepool United: Evans, Benn, John, Parkes (capt), Kouogun, Campbell (Topallaj, 83), Sheron (Francis, 61), Hunter, Miley, Reid, Daly (Brown, 61); Subs Not Used: Smith, Ferguson, Johnson, Aungiers

Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle
Attendance: 3,127 (51 away)