By Gareth Davies at the Truro City Stadium

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH (TUESDAY)

Truro City 1 Chippenham Town 1

BILLY Palfrey’s goal deep in stoppage time saw the Tinners claim a share of the spoils in front of a record Truro City Stadium crowd.

With the hosts trailing after Matt McClure’s penalty conversion four minutes from time, Palfrey lashed home Tom Harrison’s ball across the six-yard box to spark jubilant scenes amongst the majority of 2,818 fans in attendance.

A draw was the least City deserved from a match in which neither side could really find their rhythm. Visiting custodian Will Henry was by far and away the busier of the two men between the sticks, as Dan Lavercombe was rarely pressed into action.

The game appeared to be petering out into a stalemate until referee Phil Eddie correctly pointed to the spot and veteran hitman McClure made no mistake.

Truro then went in desperate search of a leveller and just like their previous home outing against Tonbridge, when Jaze Kabia netted in additional time, Palfrey was the side’s unlikely hero with his first of the season.

Before a ball was kicked in anger, the huge crowd was treated to a spectacular firework display and once the main event began, unlike the pre-match entertainment, it was a case of both sides keeping their powder dry.

Visiting striker Harry Parsons, who netted in the Bluebirds’ 4-0 demolition of Welling in the Wiltshire outfit’s last game, shot well wide after just four minutes.

Tom Harrison, Kabia and Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain also had sighters at the other end, before the game burst into life just shy of the half hour mark.

Tylor Love-Holmes was fed by Tyler Harvey, and the National League South Player of the Month for October saw a goal-bound effort beaten away by Henry. Two follow-up efforts from Will Dean and Andrew Neal were then blocked before Freddie Grant desperately cleared off the line.

Chippenham then felt Tom Mehew’s tumble in the box was worthy of a spot kick, but playing advantage for a foul on Tom Owen-Evans, the man in the middle pulled play back. Owen-Evans’ protests cost him a caution and the resulting free-kick came to nothing.

After the break, City raced from the traps and Kabia, from a tight angle inside the six-yard box, was denied by Henry with Harvey’s follow-up also saved.

Truro City striker Jaze Kabia gets a shot at goal. Picture: Phil Mingo/PPAUK
Truro City striker Jaze Kabia gets a shot at goal. Picture: Phil Mingo/PPAUK (Phil Mingo/PPAUK)

But Chippenham tightened up at the back and defended staunchly to frustrate the hosts and at the other end, Gary Horgan’s side once again had a number of half chances, without the hosts needing any intervention from Lavercombe.

The game then seemingly swung on a Joe Andrews corner which fell to Grant, who was felled just inside the box by Tylor Love-Holmes. Up stepped McClure, with the one-time Wycombe Wanderers striker powerfully beating Lavercombe, despite the home stopper diving the right way.

Truro then bombarded the Chippenham box with a series of long throws and corners, searching for a leveller and in the third minute of five added on, substitute Yassine En-Neyah was denied by a brilliant Henry save.

It appeared that would be a first defeat in the league since early September, but this City side have a canny knack of never knowing when they are beaten and that was evident again.

A long Lavercombe clearance was headed up in the air by Grant and Harrison, lurking at the back post, found Palfrey who made no mistake, as the game finished all square.

TRURO CITY: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harrison, Sanders; Love-Holmes (Kuleya, 87), Dean, Rooney (En-Neyah, 54), Neal (Palfrey, 65), Riley-Lowe (capt); Kabia, Harvey. Subs not used: Johnson-Fisher, Adelsbury.