"We have to keep the belief" from manager Massey after City's first defeat

Spoiling tactics from the opposition; too many players wanting to ref; the ref not wanting to ref and overall little goalmouth action sent the Truro City supporters home disappointed and left City’s manager Steve Massey to sum up it up as “Totally and utterly frustrating. One of the disappointing things was when we got the ball, we gave it away far too quickly.”

Bideford had the first attempt on goal as early as the second minute when the lanky striker Kevin Squire lobbed the ball over as running in on the City goal, while Ollie Brokenshire made the most of a quickly taken Jake Ash free-kick bringing a save out of the visitors’ ‘keeper Steve Oliver at the near post.

However, the football was being interrupted on far too many occasions with wild challenges and it was no wonder that referee Steve Annis produced his first of seven yellow cards as early as the 12th minute when striker Owen Howe was punished for tapping the ball at a Truro player on the ground.

Six minutes later skipper Jake Ash picked up his second yellow in three days when he joined Howe in the referee’s book , however there was some hope when just after midway through the first half, striker Liam Eddy turned and ran at The Robins defence before releasing a shot from the edge of the Bideford penalty area.

However with half-time approaching and neither side really looking like scoring, City were dealt a body blow when Craig Duff gave the visitors the lead.

The second-half started much the same with yet another yellow card with Ollie Brokenshire’s name being added to the list, while City continued to fail to make any real impact on the Bideford defence. Cooke broke through on the left but his cross was far too deep, while Matt Andrew, making his league debut against a former club, whipped in a fierce right wing cross to no avail. But perhaps City’s attacking threats were best summed up by Massey : “We didn’t really test the ‘keeper.”

Things got worse for City when Dan Evans was shown a red card for a foul on Howe. For most of the crowd it looked like a shoulder charge and a free-kick at worst, Massey agreed : ”I was absolutely amazed. Even the Bideford bench were surprised. It was just a shoulder to shoulder challenge. I didn’t even think it was free-kick, let alone a sending off!”

City rode their luck with ten minutes remaining when Howe hooked a ball over his shoulder, initially the effort looked to be going over Luke Payne’s cross-bar, but the ‘keeper (in for an unavailable Ollie Chenwoewth), just got enough of a touch of the ball when it came back into play off the cross-bar to thwart Bideford knocking in the rebound.

The game was well and truly wrapped up though in the 87th minute when substitute Richard Groves notched his first goal of the season direct from a free-kick, bending the ball around a four-man wall and into the corner of the home side’s net with Payne’s dive to no avail.

On the day Manager Massey felt that his young side “Didn’t have the experience. We got bullied and intimidated and it affected our performance. I agree with the supporters who felt the performance was not good enough, but we have to keep the belief.”

CITY: Payne, Gwinnett (Broad 67), Kendall, Evans, White; Cooke, Brokenshire (Copp 65), Ash (capt), Andrew, Coombes (Broomfield 75), Eddy.
Subs (not used): Sims, Swain.
Red card: Evans.
Yellow cards: Ash, Andrew, Brokenshire.

BIDEFORD: Oliver, Orchard (Sampson 76), Clifford, Furzer, Farkins, Gerring, Hockley (capt) (Halpin 82), Bye, Squire, Howe, Duff (Groves 58).
Subs (not used): Barker, Phillips.
Yellow cards: Howe, Bye, Clifford, Squire.
Goals: Duff (39) 0-1, Groves (87) 0-2).

Referee: Steve Annis

Crowd: 527