City ended 2014 in perfect style, as they swept to their sixth straight Evo-Stick Southern premier division victory to move up to fourth in the table.

Goals from Shane White, Matt Wright, Cody Cooke, Ben Gerring and Craig Duff eased them to a Boxing Day victory over their North Devon rivals and Steve Tully’s side have now scored 18 goals in their last three home matches.

They are just three points behind leaders Poole, who won 1-0 at Frome, and Tully believes his ever improving side have a realistic shot at the title.

The City boss named the same team that beat Histon 7-2 in their previous game, which meant Dan Green and Barry Hayles had to be content with places on the bench after missing that match.

In wet and windy conditions, it took City just seven minutes to open their account from an unlikely source, with Shane White firing a shot through a crowd of players for only his second goal of the season since scoring against Hitchin on September 6.

Bideford though carried a threat, with City keeper Charlie Burns making a couple of smart stops from Craig Veal efforts.

It was City however, who went 2-0 up after 25 minutes when Matt Wright followed up to score against his former club, after ex-City keeper Grant Fisher could only parry Isaac Vassell’s shot into his path following a quick City break.

Vassell was causing all sorts of problems for the visitors with his pace and Cody Cooke might have done better after good work by the former Plymouth Argyle striker.

Any hopes Bideford might of had of making a second half comeback were soon ended as City went 3-0 up.

Duff played White in on the right and his cross was forced home at the second attempt by Cooke for his 11th goal of the season.

It soon became 4-0, as another former Bideford player Gerring was allowed plenty of space to score his first City goal with a stooping header from a free-kick.

The game was over as a contest allowing Tully to make a triple substitution with Hayles, Green and Les Afful on for Cooke, Wright and Vassell.

And it was not until stoppage time that leading scorer Craig Duff ended his five game goalless run with a fine break and finish for his 17th goal of the season.

It was yet another impressive display by the home side whose next match is at promotion rivals Weymouth on New Year’s Day.

CITY: Burns; Farkins, Gerring, Pugh; White, Ash (capt), Duff, Cooke (Green 65), Greenslade; Wright (Hayles 65), Vassell (Afful (65).

Subs (not used): Tully, Moore (GK).

Yellow cards: Duff.

BIDEFORD: Fisher; Sampson, Reed, Veal, Villis, McGath, Groves, Parcell (Barker 80), Watson (Squires 76), Chaney (Milton 51), Wood, Squires. Sub (not used): Harrison.

Yellow cards: Groves, McGath,

GOALS: White (7) 1-0, Wright (25) 2-0, Cooke (50) 3-0, Gerring (53) 4-0, Duff (90+1) 5-0.

Referee: Matt Eva.

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Bideford's match report (North Devon Journal)

BIDEFORD were brushed aside by Truro City in the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division as they lost 5-0 in the Boxing Day clash.
Shane White, Cody Cooke and three ex-Bideford players – Matt Wright, Ben Gerring and Craig Duff – did the damage as the White Tigers extended their winning run in the league to six games.

After seven minutes, Chris McGrath’s clearance was picked up by Shane White and the wing-back slotted home to give Truro the lead.
The former Bideford partnership of Rob Farkins and Gerring looked solid at the heart of the home side’s defence as they kept close tabs on Ben Watson.

The pace of Isaac Vassell, another who has turned out for Bideford, proved menacing throughout and 25 minutes in the forward snuck past Matt Villis. His shot was parried by goalkeeper Grant Fisher but Wright poked the ball into the empty net to make it 2-0.

The Robins had several good opportunities from set-pieces but they failed to provide a threat on goal before the close of the half with a lack of aerial presence.

In the second period Truro set about killing the game off as Cooke found himself free in the box and beat Fisher, who was frozen on his line, to make it 3-0 on 49 minutes.

The fourth came five minutes later as Gerring headed home from a set-piece, showing the Robins how it is done.

Truro made three substitutions on 65 minutes and the game fizzled out as Biddy steadied the ship at the back with Nick Milton replacing Sam Chaney.

But a minute from time substitute Les Afful threaded through Duff to neatly tuck away the ball and claim a romping 5-0 win for Truro who climb to fourth while Bideford remain sixth from bottom.