ST BLAZEY 1 TRURO CITY 3

TRURO City ended the old year in spectacular style when they travelled to Carlsberg SWL champions St Blazey and pulled off a sensational 3-1 win in their Cornwall Senior Cup third round replay.

City caused an upset last season when they defeated City in the Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final, but with the entire length of the SWL separating the two sides a repeat performance was going to require a huge performance.

However, that is just what the Treyew Road boys did as they took the champs on in their own back yard and dumped them out of the competition.

Manager Robbie Stephens was highly delighted with the result: "Our confidence has been lifted by the results of recent games - drawing with St Blazey and Bodmin and beating Newquay - so we knew we were capable of a result if the attitude was right.

"We decided to stick with our game plan that we adopted for the first match with our man-marking on Glyn Hooper, Ian Gosling, and Steve Daly proving decisive.

"If you cut out those players you cut out the supply and most of the danger and I take my hat off to the players who performed that task.

"St Blazey appear to me as a side who can only play one way and although they had a lot of possession, most of their chances were long-range shots or snatched efforts in the box because we were closing them down too quick.

"I think our naivety is gradually beginning to disappear and with our work-rate improving game by game we are able to close down players much quicker.

"St Blazey are a very good side and I'm not saying we are better than them because we are not, but I think on the night our players really wanted the result and we also got our tactics right."

The opening goal came after 35 minutes when City launched a counter attack. Matt Salmon delivered a through ball for Steve Rowson to run on to and as the 'keeper came out slipped the ball inside the post.

St Blazey levelled the scores ten minutes into the second half when Adrian Street picked up the ball just inside City's half and ran at an ever-retreating defence before eventually striking his shot past Butcher.

St Blazey almost snatched the lead when Glyn Hooper had a header that had goal written all over it, but somehow Butcher produced a fantastic reflex save to deny the Saints' top goalscorer.

The save proved crucial in the 65th minute when City regained the lead from another counter attack. It was a fine, flowing move involving Matt Salmon, Luke Wort, Richard Young and Rusty Rowson who finally squared the ball into the path of Ben Goldring who finished off the well-worked move.

St Blazey put City under pressure in their quest for an equaliser, but in the dying minutes City scored the goal that clinched the tie. Goalkeeper Glassup moved up for a corner in a last-ditch attempt to grab an equaliser, but City cleared the danger and when Rowson picked up the ball wide on the right his long-range effort sailed into the unprotected goal much to the delight of the players and City supporters.

City now face Penzance in the quarter-finals.