BEDFORD TOWN 0 TRURO CITY 1: match report by THE MOWDOG...

Labouring White Tigers Finally Prevail At The Eyrie

Bedford Town 0 Truro City 1

In memory of the Hillsborough tragedy: Bedford Town...

...and Truro's White Tigers...

An emotional moment...

Truro dominated the affair at Bedford’s Eyrie so much during the opening half that the hosts barely threatened the visitors’ penalty-box at all, yet City found creating clear-cut chances themselves really difficult too, resulting in a frustrating 45 minutes. The winning goal, well executed by skipper Dan Green, was followed by further opportunities for replacement Liam Eddy, which were scorned and Bedford must have thought that left-sided midfielder Rob Parker would take one of his three chances to regain parity. He didn’t and the visitors also survived a strange free-kick, which appeared to bounce apologetically against a post. A deserved victory for the visitors, no doubt at all, who were driven on by Green, despite missing Broad, Brokenshire and Kendall and managing to field only three substitutes, one of whom was manager Steve Tully. Bedford, already relegated, looked a sorry crew, despite the efforts in defence of Jeff Woodward and skipper Paul Cooper, also the running of Tom Rawlings in attack, although he was rarely offered any service.

Cody Cooke tries to guess the number he is wearing today...

Cooper and Green toss...

A huge early punt by Cooper led to Rawlings fastening onto a poor kick out by Fisher but the striker was able only to lift a wasteful volley off target, yet from then on, the visitors looked the more connected team, with Neil Slateford and Green running the midfield and Jake Ash a pillar behind them. Cody Cooke, always seemingly wasted as a target-striker, won some early headers and Ben Watson sniffed. Cooke reached, but was unable to direct his header goalwards from a Warren Daw centre then Watson escaped the offside trap at inside-right but dragged a decent cross-shot wide of the left vertical. Slateford won a left-side corner, the first of many for Truro in this game and all that Bedford could conjure up was a hurried and sliced 25 yarder by Parker, whose shooting was badly awry on the day.

What a picture, I arse you...

Green, sitting 25 yards out at corners and the like, fired a powerful drive, which took a slight deflection but several times, when the ball was moved out to Truro’s right-flank, possession was forfeited. Young full-back Mickey Parcell made a couple of early errors and was seemingly unable to deliver the kinds of centres Cooke and Watson needed but more creativity between Slateford and Cooke won another flag-kick. This was cleared to Green, who passed right to Les Afful and his pass for Watson inside the penalty-area saw the speed of the forward take him past Woodward to the byeline and a fine centre was lob-headed from beyond the far post by Ash, only for ‘keeper Lee Crockett to flail a hand, partially slowing the ball and defender Josh McGoldrick hammered the ball away from the goal-line. Home striker Kelvin Osei-Addo, who had already pushed Shane White down from behind in frustration no doubt, then left his foot in, when Daw cleared the ball, leaving the Truro left-back needing attention. Osei-Addo achieved little else. 

When Watson was fouled, 25 yards out, Cooke and White stood over the ball but Cooke was ushered away and I’ll bet White wishes he hadn’t done so, for his shot at goal flew so wide and high that Truro’s players gazed up at two surprised buzzards, no doubt feeling that this wasn’t to be their falcon day, despite their ascendancy. Daw and Cooke combined to win a throw on the left and when that was cleared, the ball flew out to Slateford, but his 25 yard effort also rose like a Tiger Moth from the runway of Elmdon Airport. Watson made a dribble along the left byeline, before being dispossessed then from Green’s fine right-side centre, Arran Pugh rose well but his header drifted over the home crossbar. The interval was signalled, the sun shone brightly and probably the highlight of the half had been the Truro fans singing their rendition of ‘Ode To the Cody Cookes’, to the tune (nearly) of ‘Yellow Submarine’.

Cooke and Afful are not needed by Shane White.
Perhaps...

The advantage held by Truro had been significant but the lack of a clever, incisive and speedy striker was evident and in truth Crockett had been King of the Wild Frontier…

The team of Cody Cookes...

A huge bash by Woodward, after the break, led to a lob from distance by Rawlings but the forward’s effort cleared the Truro crossbar and two circling sparrow hawks by a good way, then McGoldrick was replaced by Jerry Nash for the hosts, before a right-wing centre, after the ball had bounced off White and set Bedford moving, fell for Parker and he, with Parcell unable to get close, drove a sliced shot badly wide from 20 yards. And then Truro’s White Tigers finally bared their offensive teeth; Afful was able to reach the byeline on the right, he crossed to Watson at the far stick, whose low 7 yard volley was parried back to the number 8 by Crockett and Watson drove an instant left-booter against the near upright. The ball cannoned out to Green, hovering with intent, as always and he tricked the unfortunate Parker, who thought he was going to shoot first-time and had unwisely slid in, but Green drifted right then he smacked a great rising right-footer high into the left corner of the net. A fine goal from probably Truro’s most effective and influential player.

Green is congratulated...

Cooke couldn’t quite connect with Pugh’s head-on of White’s deep free-kick at the right upright and Truro replaced Slateford and Ash, both recently recovered from injuries, with Jordan Copp and manager Steve Tully. More Truro pressure, with Parcell threatening was followed by the withdrawal of Stefan Powell for the hosts, for the introduction of Jordan Davies. A Parcell centre was over-hit, Afful was looking livelier but when he lost out in midfield, the ball was again moved to Parker, again in a good position and again he shot, despite Parcell’s presence, but he drove too high this time. Liam Eddy replaced Afful, who had taken a knock and soon, Eddy shook off defenders on the left, following White’s pass but Crockett was quickly down to deny the striker’s low and angled effort. Eddy shook his head.

Bird watching at the Eyrie...

Kerran Birch replaced Osei-Addo for the hosts, Watson nearly freed Eddy, who was an imp, threatening Crockett, like a bear-cub on a mountain-top in Tennessee, (check the song ‘Davy Crockett’) and then Truro so nearly conceded a daft goal. Hands were used at the left corner of the 18 yard box and Rawlings shaped to shoot, with the sun a real problem for the under-worked Truro ‘keeper Grant Fisher. The shot dropped over the defensive wall but Fisher appeared to think that the ball was rolling wide: it didn’t. In horror, Fisher saw the ball bobble back off the base of the left upright and only a brilliant challenge by his manager Tully, prevented Jamie Nicholls from capitalising upon the misjudgement. A Watson flick then freed Eddy at inside-right but the striker failed again, although the advancing Crockett, rifle in hand and raccoon tail flying behind his headgear (not really) did well to drop right and stop the effort, one-handed. Eddy shook his head.

Looks like the ref has gone off on a rampage...

Bedford broke on the right then, as the substitutes, Davies and Nash looked to impress with some strong running in possession and again a right-side centre came to Parker, again loosely covered by Parcell and this time the Eagle swooped to head badly wide of the far upright. The two blue eagle models on the fencing could hardly bear to look… Truro then became a little careless, a little tense and a little desperate, for Green dragged back Cooper, who had dispossessed the tireless Cooke, to stop the flow and was booked, then Eddy knocked the ball away as a free-kick was about to be taken and he too, was cautioned; both were punishments for the cause. City should then have done better with two late efforts, despite the awakening from their beds of Bedford’s offensive players, for White curled a 20 yard effort wide and Eddy, freed by Green at inside-left, ignored the supporting Cooke to his right and drove a shot also past that right upright from 17 yards. Eddy shook his head. 

The end was whistled, Truro had secured three points but in truth, Bedford had been really poor. Green and Cooke had worked so hard for Truro and to be fair, little had harassed the imperious Pugh in the visiting defence. I drove home to eat eggs and chips and to prepare for the journey to Biggleswade on Tuesday: it’s what you do… 

A decent day's work...

Don't do it JAKE... Noooooo.....

The sun rejoices in Truro's victory...

Long way home now, as the Eagle flies...

Teams:

Bedford:  Lee Crockett, Ben Grant, Paul Cooper (Capt); Dan Burke, Jeff Woodward, Josh McGoldrick; Jamie Nicholls, Stefan Powell, Tom Rawlings, Kelvin Osei-Addo, Rob Parker.

Subs: Kerran Birch, Jerry Nash, Amos Kabaye, Jordan Davies, Alex Thomas.

Truro:  Grant Fisher, Mickey Parcell, Warren Daw; Jake Ash, Arran Pugh, Shane White; Dan Green (Capt), Ben Watson, Les Afful, Cody Cooke, Neil Slateford.

Subs: Liam Eddy, Steve Tully, Jordan Copp.