3rd Oct 2009

HARES CONTINUES TO FIRE

DART A 1-1 TRURO 3rd’s

Also playing their first away game were Truro 3rd’s, who fared slightly better than their higher ranked colleagues. Playing on an excessively sandy pitch in the sunshine which eluded the rest of the South West, the visitors made a positive start with Ben Moran and Rory Flutter attacking well down the right hand side. Soon the opportunity for a break through presented itself and Stuart Hares was unlucky to see his penalty corner strike cleared off the line.

Dart broke, somewhat against the run of play, and, despite a fine double save from keeper Harry Waters, were able to take the lead as the Truro defence failed to clear – the ball being lifted over the prone ‘keeper.

Truro came back strong but despite creating chances were unable to convert. Just short of half time a swift counter attack from a Dart penalty corner saw Hares pick out captain Rich Walker with a route one ball and Walker, running 50 yards in open space, saw his shot well saved by the advancing ‘keeper, which at least lifted their spirits going into the half time break

.

After half time Moran and Flutter were shut down by the Dart defence who had realised that the pair were Truro’s main source of attacking ball, however Ben Andrews and Ryan Morrish began to combine well on the left as the visitors chased the game.

Man of the Match Andrews surged into the attacking 25 with 10 minutes to go and found Walker in the circle who won a penalty corner. Hares’ first strike found a defenders foot at close range and his powerful second was saved but not cleared. Flutter, with a chance to win the match, was denied a certain goal by the body of the Dart postman in the following melee; leading scorer Hares netted his seventh of the year with a well taken penalty stroke to draw level.

In the dying minutes Truro continued to push forwards, with Dave Denning and Simon Rogers joining Walker and Simon Rafferty up front in an increasingly attacking formation but a winning goal eluded the side.

With a one all draw Truro gain their first point of the season but can feel disappointed not to have won the match; next week’s game sees Truro hosting USHC Plymouth.

Truro: Harry Waters (gk), Ben Andrews, Stuart Hares, Dave Denning, Ben Moran, Ryan Morrish, Owen Mawdsley , Simon Rogers, Rory Flutter, Simon Rafferty, Rich Walker (c), Stuart Madeley.

 

26th Sept 2009

NINE GOAL THRILLER

TRURO 3rd’s 4 v 5 St AUSTELL

The first league game for a new team and a new captain saw Truro 3 play local rivals St Austell in a pulsating encounter. From the start both teams came out attacking and within minutes Truro went a goal down 0-1. With 5 regular players out, fielding 2 new youth players and with no practise on attacking short corners Truro pressed for the equalizer. Finally getting into St Austell’s area Truro was given a short corner. Rogers pushed the ball out to Hares who slotted home in the bottom right hand corner 1-1.

With determination Truro pushed for a second and was rewarded with another short corner. The same routine saw Hares score again in the same place 2-1. Truro then fell afoul of some slack defending and gifted St Austell away back into the game 2-2 after 20mins. Mawdsley was doing an excellent job man marking St Austell’s main threat which saw him pick up the man of the match award. With minutes remaining in the first half St Austell on the break scored their third 2-3 half time.

With words spoken at half time the next goal was really important. Unfortunately for Truro the next two goals went the way of St Austell 2-5. Finally the tide began to turn and Truro began to play the hockey which will hopefully seem them do well this year. With good attacking play saw Truro rewarded with a couple of more short corners and yet again Hares scored two more well placed shots into the same corner 4-5. With time running out St Austell held on to take the win.

POOR GAME, BUT ANOTHER WIN

BUDE 2nd's 1-3 TRURO 3rd's

Truro 3rd's have played poorly in all their games this season compared to last, but have shown enough ability and determination to win 3 of the 4 encounters so far. Their game away to Bude 2nd's was no different with 2 moments of brilliance and 1 of madness defining this match.
Both teams were structured along similar lines: a core of older experienced players surrounded by younger fitter ones but played in completely different ways. Bude had a veteran England player, who pulled their strings and even now showed his class by getting more from his players as a team than they could give as individuals.
Truro went the other way, playing for themselves, out of position and seemingly without passion, despite this they did manage to score through Kiwi, and then had another disallowed. Somehow, they stayed in the lead by half time.

Bennett's, who at times must despair at his team, juggled personnel around, introducing Moran into the midfield and this proved to be the spur that Truro needed to start playing as a team. They doubled their lead shortly after the restart, when Walker calmly rounded the keeper to fire in, however, within a few minutes Bude were right back in it when Spargo turned the ball into his own net. Bude sensed that they could take the points and renewed their attacks, piling the pressure on the creaky Truro defence. Hares rallied his men well though, with a very much ‘repel all boarders' performance, holding out long enough, to enable Bennett's to practice his ‘get-Truro-out-of-jail-last-minute-drag-flick-goal' to give the flattering final score line of 3-1 to Truro.

Truro know that by playing like this they are starting to use up some of their 9 lives and that they really must start putting in the type of performances that they know they're capable of.

Before the start of the game Martin Crump of Evolution, presented Truro with
their new match shirts-
Bennetts: "I am delighted that Evolution has sponsored Truro 3rd's with these new
shirts, he also has become the ball sponsor on all our home games and we look forward to rewarding that faith in us."

 

The Great Escape

Truro 3rd's 3-2 St.Austell

Truro 3rd's faced local rivals St.Austell, looking to make up for last weeks loss. However, with the usual Truro start, they failed to gel and were down at half time 1-0, with most of this down to the failure of the St.Austell forwards to convert their chances and Wesley's stubbornness in goal.

Half time saw the now usual change of tactics and formation, with Truro coming out with a bit more focus, only to concede another goal straightaway. Despite being 2 goals down with only 30 odd minutes on the clock, Truro didn't panic and slowly started to get themselves back into the game, with Moran starting to get the better of his marker they were given an outlet to begin the fight back. New signing Kiwi and Buick pressed hard: winning a short corner, for Hares to smack home an emotional goal. Man of the match, Spargo and Moran were working hard to supply the forwards with good passes, which led to another corner, this time Bennetts stepped up, slotting the ball home with a low drag flick.

St.Austell were not finished yet, coming back at Truro but with Hares, Frewer, Crossley, Blewett and the much improved goalie Wesley, they were unable to get past. In the dying minutes of the game a slick pass from Walker left a one on one for Bennetts with the St.Austell goalie, at the second attempt he managed flick the ball into net.
Leading 3-2 Truro thought they were home and dry, only for the umpires to award
St.Austell a late short corner, which ran out the clock, leaving the defence against the whole St.Austell team. Some desperate defending saw them clear the ball to end the game.

Although they were happy to gain the 3 points, Truro know that they managed the great escape and will have to improve considerably in future weeks, as they cannot count on being so lucky again.

FIRST HALF HORROR

TRURO 3rd's 3 - 4 USHC.

In their first fixture away, the 3rd's were away to United Services in Plymouth, and unlike the previous week things did not go according to plan. Prior to the match it all looked good, with a strong side that had played together often and as a bonus US turned up with only 10 players.
As so often happens though, the 10 men from Plymouth completely outplayed the Cornish boys, doing everything that Truro should have been doing but didn't. In what Capt Bennetts said was ‘the worst performance by this team since he took over as Captain two years ago', probably only one Truro player could hold his head up at halftime as they went to the break a daunting 4-0 down.

Most teams with this score line at halftime would just try to limit the damage in the second half, but after an inspirational speech from the fuming Capt, they came right back at US. Where they had played as individuals they now played as a team, and this time it was US who were pushed right back and had to get all their players defending. Bennetts netted to start the fightback, then defender Frewer forced his way through a wall of players before firing in a 2nd. US were starting to look rattled when Bennetts got a trademark drag flick to make it 3, and Truro scented that mission impossible was possible for at least a point but they were running out of time, and threw everything at their opponents.

Ultimately US clung on to take the points with it being too little too late for Truro, who will be kicking themselves for their dreadful 1st half horror show.

After narrowly missing out on promotion last year, Bennetts will not want to see this sort of performance again for the rest of the season and has promised that next weeks home game against St.Austell will be a vast improvement.

Man of the match Rory Flutter (awesome)

Truro(B) 4 - 2 Bodmin A

Saturday 29th September 2008

 

What better way to start a league season than with a local derby. Truro(B) fielded a side balancing experience and youth this weekend as they faced Bodmin 2nd XI at Truro School.

 

The game started at a lively pace with Truro controlling the initial phases. Bodmin however drew first blood with a counter attack that caught Truro off guard. Truro regained composure and excellent work from Ben Moran allowed Martin Crump the simplest of goals to level the score.

 

Bodmin regained the lead 2 minutes before half time with a well executed penalty corner routine.

 

Team manager Kev Bennetts and Captain Wayne Spargo rallied the troops at half time and saw them come out more composed than the first half. Andy Rust moved into a pivotal role in the centre of the park and allowed the team to play flowing, attacking hockey. From this moment it was a one horse race with Truro in almost total control of the game.

 

Nigel Barker should have levelled the score when James Frewer found him in the D but moments later another excellent run from Ben Moran forced an error from Bodmin and Kev Bennetts converted the Penalty Corner low and hard to equalize.

 

Moments later Truro were ahead 3-2 with some excellent work down the left from Truro allowing new signing Richard Miner to score on the rebound.

 

A further unstoppable penalty corner from Bennetts was blasted into the roof of the net for his second and Truro's fourth.

 

Cornwall Cup Match

Truro 3rd's are at home to CSM 2nd's in this years cup, match to be played by 22nd December.