Pitching In Southern League
Premier Division South
Truro City 1 Beaconsfield Town 1
Bolitho Park - Attendance 146
Ram of the Match – Myles Anderson
Beaconsfield made the long coach ride back to their frozen Buckinghamshire home in possession of a hard won point collected in a compact disciplined and at times dogged performance against a mobile, well organised and attack minded opponent.
The hosts nicked the win at the death against Harrow Borough on Saturday but could not repeat the trick here despite pressing the Rams to the very last whistle on Wednesday evening.
It began well for the hosts, who flew out of the traps as Beaconsfield were slow to settle, get the coach miles out of their legs and come to terms with the surface that looked benign but in reality hid an uneven dead bounce and was best described as a bit of a pudding.
Truro City had the game’s outstanding individual on the evening Rocky Neal, who has tormented The Rams defence in various shirts down the years, and he almost had The White Tigers ahead after barely two minutes. Ram’s keeper Ravan Constable, who had an interesting evening with the ball at his feet, didn’t connect well and his low half clearance was returned with interest into the path of Neal who got half a yard of space and fired in a low shot which flew inches wide. By his high standards you’d have to classify it as a big miss.
The opening 15 minutes were the Rocky Neal show, a constant threat with clever movement and pace, he proved a handful for The Rams defence, wriggling free to direct a firm downward header which was saved by Constable. It was third chance lucky for the striker, who burst onto a through ball down the left and broke into the area as The Rams defence appealed for offside, which looked a strong possibility. No flag came from the assistant too far behind the play to judge.
Neal faced by the substantial figure of Constable, steadfastly refusing to go down early, shifted the ball and his feet cleverly. Out-waiting the keeper, inducing him to commit himself before impudently lifting the ball over him and into the net. The lead was no more than Truro deserved and as they continued to press it had the feeling of a long evening for The Rams. Neal’s next chance found him in a similar inside left position but faced by defenders, his snapshot fizzed just over the bar, though Constable appeared to have it covered.
As the half progressed The Rams settled in to their football and opportunities started to come at the other end. Nathan Minhas dragged a cross shot wide of the far post when well placed and then saw a low shot from the opposite angle well saved by James Hamon in the Truro goal after a misplaced pass out of defence presented him with the chance.
Sam Granville and Sam Togwell started to get a grip of the midfield and the Rams defence settled to their task with Dan Bradshaw and Kyel Reid becoming more of a factor. Ably assisted by the overlapping of Charlie Smith and Olly Sprague, they had the Truro defence at full stretch and forced several corners.
From one of these the ball was played back to Togwell. Left of centre the midfielder sent in a looping effort with the outside of his right foot which arched beyond Hamon and into the opposite top corner.
The game developed a more end to end flow as the half progressed with Truro forcing a number of set pieces which The Rams defended reasonably well until just before the break when Ed Palmer’s header appeared to strike a Beaconsfield arm. The Rams defence were equally convinced that the defender had left early and met the ball in an offside position. So nothing given was probably a reasonable compromise.
Half Time 1-1
Beaconsfield began the second period on the front foot and well.
They carried a threat going forward but the home side defended resolutely and restricted the visitors to half chances and protected Hamon well.
At the other end Constable was similarly well protected and his only alarms until the closing stages were largely of his own making as he set off on a couple of dribbles out of the box, dusting off his Cruyff turn to evade the attentions of Neal not once but twice! Beconsfields best chance came as the game entered the final quarter as Kyel Reids goal bound effort was blocked away to safety.
The closing stages were all Truro and they carved out two presentable chances as Myles Anderson and Olly Sprague battled through a knee injury and multiple cramping leg muscles and the final 10 minutes became a rearguard action.
Palmer had a goalbound header deflected by Anderson into Constables arms before Kyle Egan capped a sweeping cross field move to turning a Tyler Harvey pass across the goal at pace where it was met by substitute Colin Oppong who diverted it into the side netting with Anderson again in close attendance.
It was a struggle at times but definitely a point gained by Beaconsfield who are displaying a togetherness and willingness to battle against adversity as a squad and showing themselves capable of giving anyone at this level a game.
Next up The Rams entertain the now Steve Claridgeless Salisbury at Holloways Park in the return fixture of the opening day of the season.
Truro City :
James Hamon, Kyle Egan, Connor Riley-Lowe ©, Shane White, Edward Palmer, William Dean, Oliver Knowles (Sub Osanebi Okoh 75) Ryan Brett (SubColin Oppong 75), Adam Porter, Andrew Neal, Tyler Harvey.
Subs not used : Simeone Okoro, Stewart Yetton, Oliveer Haste
Beaconsfield Town :
Ravan Constable, Charlie Smith, Oliver Sprague, Myles Anderson, Keano Robinson Sam Togwell ©, Dan Bradshaw, Sam Granville, Nathan Minhas, Elliott Buchanan [Sub Max Bustamante 85], Kyel Reid.
Subs -, Kayne Connor, Ben Peters, Eitel Goueth, Toby Little,