Truro are still fighting hard to reach play-offs
THIS season may not have gone to plan for both Truro City and Tiverton Town, but both teams showed just what they are capable of with unlikely wins on Wednesday night.
Paul Wotton’s White Tigers welcomed title-chasing Taunton Town to Bolitho Park and put a huge spanner in the works of their push for promotion with a hard fought 1-0 win.
Niall Thompson scored the only goal of the game just past the hour mark to keep their hopes of making the end of season play-offs alive.
Wotton’s men still have plenty of work to do – they are five points adrift of the top five now – but more results and performances like Tuesday and they stand every chance.
Truro welcome Walton casuals to Bolitho Park on Saturday, a team that are lying in mid-table and could be overtaken by Tiverton if the Yellows can build on their midweek success at home to Farnborough.
Goals from on-loan Exeter City defender Alfie Pond, who is having a fine season at Ladysmead by all accounts, got them in front before another youngster with Exeter connections, Theo Simpson, bagged the second goal in the last minute.
The win was a devastating blow to Farnborough’s chances of promotion as they would have gone level on points with leaders Hayes & Yeading and second-placed Taunton with a win.
Tomorrow, Tiverton head to Beaconsfield Town, who are just below them in the league standings.
In Division One South, Plymouth Parkway made it an incredible ten wins from the with a 2-0 win over Evesham United on Tuesday, which saw Lee Hobbs’ side go top of the table.
“It’s an unbelievable achievement at any level of football because doing it is very, very difficult but, fortunately for us, we have been able to navigate ourselves to ten straight wins,” Hobbs said.
“The numbers within that are excellent as well with six clean sheets and only four goals conceded, so it’s fantastic. The points are now on the board, we now find ourselves on top of the tree and we have to stay there.
“I said to the players after the game on Tuesday night that it is one thing getting there, but now we have to stay there. Our destiny is in our hands now and if we win games we are supposed to win, then we will win this league.”
Parkway have five games remaining now and play the toughest of those tomorrow when they head to third-placed Cirencester Town.
Against Evesham, Hobbs was left fuming when a Ryan Lane shot went into the goal, but rebounded off a diagonal metal bar, forming part of the stanchion by the goal post.
Although the ball crossed the line, the referee deemed it had not and with a similar occurrence at Chesham United this week, Hobbs is keen to ensure it does not happen again.
The problem is that Parkway’s goals, bought as part of a job lot of football equipment from the Devon FA last summer, are supposed to be used for 3G artificial pitches, not grass. Thankfully, the incident did not ultimately prove costly.
“They are the wrong goals for our football club and the goal cam clearly shows it was a goal,” Hobbs said. “It was frustrating, but it is something the football club need to look at because we don’t want goals chalked off.
“I don’t think they are the goals we should have and I think we need new ones.”
Seven days ago, Bideford were thinking a win in one of two games against Cinderford would all but guarantee them safety in the division for another season, but back-to-back defeats has left them looking nervously over their shoulders.
After a 2-0 home loss last Saturday, Bideford lost the return game 1-0 on Tuesday night and they now sit just outside the relegation play-off place on goal difference from Lymington Town. Cinderford are now one point and one place ahead of Bideford following that six-point haul.
Tomorrow, Bideford face a tough trip to Larkhall Athletic, Cinderford host Sholing and Lymington head to Willand Rovers, who can end any lingering relegation fears with a win at Silver Street.
Barnstaple look doomed with such a poor goal difference compared to their rivals and their relegation will be confirmed if they fail to beat Highworth Town at Mill Road.