By Gareth Davies at Princes Park

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH (SATURDAY)

Dartford 2 Truro City 1

CITY ended their first season back in National League South since 2019 with a 2-1 reverse at already relegated Dartford.

Paul Wotton’s charges secured their survival earlier in the week with a 1-0 win over Dover Athletic before the side’s penultimate match ended in stalemate against Weymouth at Meadow Park.

But this match, Truro’s 10th in 20 days, was a bridge too far for the White Tigers as goals from Joash Nembhard and Ollie Bray saw the Darts open up a 2-0 lead.

Despite Tyler Harvey finding the mark deep into stoppage time, Dartford held on for their first Princes Park triumph in over five months. 

City made seven changes to the side which drew 0-0 with the Terras as only James Hamon, Ryan Law, Tom Harrison and Will Dean were retained. 

It should be noted that Hamon has played in every minute of City’s final 10 fixtures while Law had started the previous four. 

City had the first sight of goal after 15 minutes when Harvey saw an effort saved by home custodian Rhys Byrne.

But against the run of play, Dartford took the lead after 22 minutes when Nembhard’s powerful header from Luke Coulson’s corner left Hamon with no chance. 

Almost immediately after scoring, Dartford nearly added a second, but thankfully for Truro, a goalmouth scramble after a Luke Allen drive resulted in a clearance off the line. 

City were dominant for the rest of the opening 45 minutes as Adam Porter, skipper Connor Riley-Lowe and Andrew Neal were all denied by the overworked Byrne. 

The second stanza saw City dominate once more and just shy of the hour mark, the visitors struck the woodwork. Byrne then made a remarkable triple save with 15 minutes left and then Dartford went straight up the other end and Bray, the former City loanee, saw his effort somehow end up in the back of the net. 

A tiring City side then struggled to force a way back into proceedings until Harvey bagged his 14th goal of the season in the fourth minute of stoppage time. 

However, there wasn’t enough time to salvage a point as the final whistle from referee David Jones sounded shortly after. 

TRURO CITY: Hamon, Palmer, Adelsbury, Harrison, Riley-Lowe, Porter (Johnson-Fisher, 56), Dean, D Rooney (Brett, 46), Law (Hinds, 71), Neal, Harvey. Subs not used: Melhado, Palfrey.