By Gareth Davies at Meadow Park

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH

Truro City 1 Torquay United 2

A goal from Ed Palmer deep into stoppage time wasn’t enough to stop Truro City falling to defeat against cross-Tamar rivals Torquay United on Monday night.

In a vital game for both sides at the bottom of the National League South table, the Gulls boosted their own survival hopes thanks to goals in the opening half from Arkell Jude-Boyd and Brad Ash.

City, who still have six games left to secure their Step Two status for a second year, struggled to find a way back into proceedings, despite starting the game well.

For a second successive game, City chief Paul Wotton made eight changes to his starting line-up. 

Only James Hamon, facing a club he served on loan in 2021, Finn Tonks and Dan Sullivan, another ex-Gull, were retained from the 1-1 draw against Aveley on Saturday.

Matt Buse, Archie Harris and Lewis Brown missed out altogether while Dom Johnson-Fisher, Sam Sanders, Dan Rooney and Luther Munakandafa dropped down to the bench.

Tom Harrison and Josh Hinds were starters after being named as substitutes against Aveley while Palmer, Connor Riley-Lowe, Ryan Law, Will Dean and Andrew Neal, who all sat out of that draw, returned.

In front of a season’s best ‘home’ crowd for City of 384, the first noteworthy incident of the game saw Torquay striker Duane Ofori-Acheampong booked for a poor challenge on Harrison. 

The much travelled 31-year-old, who can count Werder Bremen and Hertha Berlin amongst his former clubs, was then lucky to escape a second caution for a deliberate handball. 

It was Truro who had the first sight of goal when Law fired the ball into the corridor of uncertainty, but there was no player in a white shirt able to tap home.

Ofori-Acheampong then clattered into Dean and after a final warning from referee Ashley Clarke, was replaced by Ethon Archer after 19 minutes.

Just four minutes later and the deadlock was broken by Torquay when Arkell-Boyd cut inside and fired low into the net past Hamon for his fifth goal of the season. 

With half-time approaching, the Gulls, who are in administration and under the temporary charge of Aaron Downes after Gary Johnson’s departure, doubled their lead. 

Dean Moxey crossed into the box and leading scorer Brad Ash turned home to give his side some real breathing space and a long road back for City. 

However, after the turnaround, Truro came within a whisker of halving the arrears when interval substitute Adam Porter crossed for Sullivan to head onto the inside of the post. 

Torquay were, understandably, keen to sit on their 2-0 lead and they almost added a third when Archer was denied by Hamon, only for the follow-up to go into the side netting just after the hour mark. 

Neither side seriously threatened until stoppage time when Johnson-Fisher had a glorious chance from just six-yards. But instead of shooting first time, the former Whitehawk man took an extra touch and the danger was averted. 

But City kept on plugging away and Palmer glanced a header home to give the hosts hope.

And there was one final chance to salvage a point when Truro were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position. Even Hamon went forward, but Torquay stood firm. 

The victory lifts the Gulls above City in the standings, with Truro dropping a place to 19th, four points clear of Dartford, who occupy the final relegation place, with three games in hand. 

TRURO CITY: Hamon, Tonks, Palmer, Harrison, Law, Melhado (Porter, 45), Dean, Riley-Lowe, Hinds (Rooney, 65), Neal (Johnson-Fisher, 75), Sullivan. Subs not used: Sanders, Munakandafa.