St Neots arrived in Cornwall on the day that hosts Truro City was celebrating their 125th anniversary but the visitors proved to be party poopers as they returned home from their lengthy 660 miles round trip with all three points. It was the perfect response from the team after their pallid home midweek defeat by Redditch particularly as they had to regroup after surrendering a two goals lead early in the second half. The one enforced team change due to the injury suffered in the Redditch game by Matt Nolan saw the return to the side of defender Mason Spence with Drew Roberts still on the bench awaiting his first start for his new club. It was St Neots second trip to Truro and by coincidence they repeated their feat the first time around by scoring the fifth goal in a tightly fought match.

The start of the match saw some untidy play by both sides with the only early effort on goal being a speculative lob by Arthur Lee comfortably collected by home keeper Kyle Moore. Then after a quarter of an hour St Neots went ahead with the credit for the goal due to Martel Powell playing a revised role just behind the front two. He chased out to the right and beat two defenders on the right bye line in very limited space before picking out Nathan Frater at the near post and his shot across the keeper found the far corner of the net. Spence then had a teasing cross acrobatically pushed over the bar but Truro came back with two good efforts. Ben Watson saw a shot well saved by Nathan Abbey and then defender Rob Farkins up for a corner was carelessly left unmarked at the far post but to St Neots’ relief he headed tamely over the bar. After 34 minutes Nathan Frater should had doubled the lead but after using his pace to round Arran Pugh he fired over the bar with only the keeper to beat. Two more Truro chances went begging as Cody Cooke saw his effort palmed away by Abbey and then Les Afful beat two defenders to set up Shane White but his shot was too high.

There was an explosive start to the second half as Nathan Frater took full advantage of a total mix up between defender and goalkeeper to roll the ball into the empty net to double St Neots advantage but this slip encouraged a Truro revival as they had their best spell of the match. In a blistering nine minutes spell they scored twice to level the match and at that stage looked favourites to go on to win. Their first goal from Craig Duff came from a poorly defended corner and then Dan Green set up Cody Cooke for a smart finish to level the scores with Abbey appearing unsighted through a crowded penalty area. St Neots responded quickly and just five minutes after surrendering their lead St Neots won a free kick when Nathan Frater was bundled over on the edge of the area and Arthur Lee produced a sublime curling free kick around the defensive wall and beyond the despairing reach of Kyle Moore to go in front again. With substitutes Drew Roberts and Ben Farrell on for the limping Nathan Frater and Powell St Neots now began to look more composed and there was a spell of midfield play with chances few. However in the final five minutes both sides created chances that could have changed the outcome of the match. Pressing forward in numbers with home favourite Barry Hayles on as a substitute Truro were awarded a free kick just outside the area but Duff sent his free kick wide of the far post and at the other end Lee set up Roberts for what looked certain to be the stikers’ first St Neots goal but Kyle Moore redeemed himself for earlier errors with the save of the match. Then the long trip home but happy to be back to winning ways.

St Neots: Abbey, Spence, Lee, Bickerstaff, Frater (R), Hoyte, Davies, Spring, Frater (N), Ford, Powell

Subs: Farrell (for Powell 54 mins), Roberts (for Frater (N) 66 mins), Ferrari (for Davies 83 mins), Ivey-Ward and Greygoose.

Cards: Abbey (Y – 55), Ford (Y – 68)

Goals: Frater (N) 2 (15 and 46 mins), Lee (66 mins)

Truro: Moore, White, Long, Ash, Farkins, Pugh, Green, Afful, Watson, Cooke, Duff

Subs: James (for White 56 mins), Vassall (for Afful 65 mins), Hayles (for Watson 74 mins), Tully and Searle.

Card: Green (Y – 54)

Goals: Duff (52 mins), Cooke (61 mins)

Attendance: 503

Referee: Mark Russell (Portishead)