By Gareth Davies at the Truro City Stadium

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH

TRURO were the victims of an Eastbourne Borough smash and grab with the visitors prevailing 1-0.

Striker Alfie Pavey netted the all-important winning goal 11 minutes after half-time with Sports’ only significant effort of note throughout the 90 minutes, which was totally dominated by City.

Truro had a goal ruled out in the opening period with Tyler Harvey (twice) and Will Dean also coming close before the turnaround.

Despite falling behind, Truro’s dominance continued and as time ticked down, skipper Connor Riley-Lowe was denied on two separate occasions by overworked Eastbourne custodian Finn Holter.

The Sports’ goal was living a charmed life and the crossbar and inside of the post came to their rescue also, thus denying Tom Harrison a first goal of the season and Jaze Kabia his fifth.

Truro boss John Askey made three changes to the side which was defeated in similar circumstances at Bath on Tuesday evening with Riley-Lowe, Billy Palfrey and Dom Johnson-Fisher coming in for Ryan Law, Seidou Sanogo and Kabia.

In front of another bumper four-figure attendance, City raced from the traps with various efforts from Yassine En-Neyah and Tyler Harvey, but some desperate Eastbourne defending and good goalkeeping denied them.

Dean was the next home player to come close. Sam Sanders was seemingly wrestled to the ground in the box but referee Matthew Norton waved play on.

Just after the half hour, the opening goal of the game appeared to have arrived although curiously, it was ruled out by the man in black. Holter flapped at a cross and with the ball loose in the box, Johnson-Fisher tapped home.

Home celebrations were cut short though, as the referee adjudged a foul on Holter.

City then forced a succession of corners as they cranked up the pressure, but credit to Eastbourne, who defended stoutly and another last-ditch block saw Harvey’s effort turned away after Harrison’s knock down.

After the break, Dean fired a free-kick across the face of goal with Holter scampering across his line, and Harvey had yet another powerful strike kept away from danger by a defender in a pink shirt.

Shortly after Harvey’s latest attempt, the deadlock was broken and although George Alexander will claim an assist, Eastbourne owe it to Michael Klass’ industry.

The former Maidstone midfielder picked up the ball and surged forward evading a number of home challenges and despite crossing into the box, it appeared that the ball was drifting out of play.

Alexander had other ideas and he hooked it back into the six-yard box for Pavey to sweep home for a second game in succession.

Askey’s troops were immediately back on the front foot.

Riley-Lowe’s first sight of goal was somehow kept out, it appeared, by the face of Holter before the outstanding Palfrey arrowed wide from the edge of the box.

Burgess and Kabia were then thrust into the fray with the former making his Truro bow. Harrison saw a glancing header crashed off the woodwork and to safety, and despite more corners, the ball wouldn’t fall for a player in a red and black shirt.

Into the dying embers and Holter pulled off another fine stop from Riley-Lowe before Kabia hit the inside of the post.

Those late chances demonstrated aptly that it was just one of those days for Truro, whilst Eastbourne made their way back to the South East knowing that that had been fortunate in the extreme, to claim all three points.

TRURO CITY: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harrison, Sanders, Love-Holmes, Palfrey, Dean, En-Neyah (Burgess, 70), Riley-Lowe (capt), Harvey, Johnson-Fisher (Kabia, 62. Subs not used: Sanogo, Law, Kuleya.