TRURO City maintained their excellent run of form in the Jolly's Combination League after they boosted their own outside hopes of a title challenge but dealt a blow to Perranwell's ambitions with a 3-2 win at Treyew Road.

City came from a goal down and played the last 20 minutes with ten men after Brian Jay was sent off to snatch victory.

Perranwell were by far the better side in the opening stages as City found it difficult to get to grips with the game, but they worked hard at containing their visitors despite having little shape to their game and giving the ball away with consummate ease.

Perran almost took the lead after 25 minutes when Mark Rapsey had a half chance, but Pete Davey rescued City with a great last-ditch tackle.

Rapsey was not to be denied and on the half hour Perran broke the deadlock when a cross into the box was met by Rapsey with his back to the goal. The former City striker looped his header backwards and with Butcher in no-man's land the ball went over him and bounced into the net as he lost his footing in attempting to get back.

Having had such little input, City must have been delighted to snap up an equaliser that looked well beyond them in the opening half. It came five minutes before the break when in their first real threatening attack Jay knocked the ball over the top for Adam Barnicoat to break clear and coolly finish as Dennis Fallowfield came out to narrow the angle.

Having played second fiddle throughout the first half, City made a blistering start to the second period with two goals in five minutes. The first came a couple of minutes after the restart when Barnicoat won possession and found Liam Williams who drove the ball across the face of the goal for Kayne Trevaskis to stab the ball into the net under pressure from a defender.

Minutes later City extended their lead when a cross from Tommy Osborne found Trevaskis unmarked on the edge of the box. Quickly getting the ball under control, he unleashed a terrific shot that flew into the net to give Fallowfield no chance.

City began to look the more impressive side and played some good football, but it was then that they decided they wanted to make life difficult for themselves. Richard Watt pulled back Rodney Gregory in the penalty area in the 65th minute and Rapsey made no mistake with the spotkick to put his side right back into the game.

Five minutes later City's grip on the game was about to receive a real test when Jay was dismissed by the referee.

Mike Hill came on to strengthen the midfield and despite playing with ten men City were never put under any sustained pressure by the visitors as they defended with confidence, especially the back three of Watt, Steve Bayley, and Davey.

With fixtures having been re-arranged, City have no match on Saturday.