A header from Arran Pugh eleven minutes from time gave Truro City a crucial victory in their bid for automatic promotion from the Zameretto Southern League premier division.

The 6ft five defender rose highest in the Didcot Town box to score what may prove to be Truro's most important goal of the season as they look to overtake first-placed Salisbury City and gain the solitary automatic promotion spot to the Conference South.

In fact the goal was made all that more important when the news came through that Salisbury had been beaten 2-0 away at Leamington – narrowing the gap between them and City to just two points, with six games left to play.

Following last week’s defeat to Brackley, this game against fourth-from-bottom Didcot Town represented a must win match for Truro as their boss Lee Hodges set them a target of collecting maximum points from their last seven games.

And everything seemed to be going to plan when Barry Hayles scored in his 13th goal of the season after nine minutes. The former Fulham striker did well to lose his marker in a crowded box before heading in an accurate cross from Scott Walker – who was starting his first game of the season, at left back, in place of the injured Martin Watts and suspended Alex Jeannin.

However, a well-organised Didcot were not to be under-estimated. They have belied their league position in recent weeks by beating Weymouth and Chesham as well as drawing with the league leaders. And they were almost level on 19 minutes when Jordan Tabor hit a fierce free-kick from 30-yards that flew over the Truro wall and smacked the inside of the post. Martin Rice’s dive to the left got nowhere near the ball but, fortunately for City, the shot rebounded out into the six-yard box and was cleared.

The strike lifted the visitors though as they had a five-minute spell of pressure without really testing Rice again. However, just when it looked as though City had weathered the storm, they gifted Didcot a soft equaliser. It came from a long goal-kick up field from Sam Warrell, which was allowed to bounce in the City half and into the possession of David Lawrence. He then advanced on the City box before hitting a right-foot shot over Rice and into the top of the net.

City went back on the attack but, apart from a shot wide from Dan Smith and an optimistic shout for a penalty from Hayles, after the ball struck the shoulder of a Didcot’s Michael Alexis, they didn’t look like adding a second.

In fact the half ended with another long ball being played up to Lawrence, but this time the striker fired wide.

Truro supporters found their voice early in the second half as they tried to lift their team to an all-important victory. But too often the home side rushed their attacks. Marcus Martin fired a shot on the half-volley from 40-yards, which flew harmlessly wide. And then Scott Walker took a free-kick too quickly and watched as the ball drifted into the arms Warrell.

New signing Wayne Carlisle went closer as he hit a 70th minute free-kick, which forced the Didcot keeper to palm the ball round the post but as the clock approached 75th-minute mark the match and City’s automatic promotion hopes seemed to be drifting towards a frustrating ending.

However, in a final roll of the dice Hodges went for broke by bringing on Stewart Yetton and reverting to a 4-3-3 formation. And as the City supporters chanted “attack, attack, attack” the players obliged. Centre-back Pugh found himself playing as a make-shift striker for a couple for minutes as Truro flooded the visitors’ box. Les Afful thought he had given City the lead on 78 minutes as he slammed a shot into the bottom corner of the net. But the goal was ruled out as Pugh had kicked the ball out of the Warrell’s hands after the Didcot keeper had claimed a cross and almost fumbled it into his path.

The referee’s decision angered the home players, but it was not to matter as moments later Walker played another cross into the box and Pugh rose highest to head the ball past a stranded Warrell.

City continued to move forward and Afful could have made the game safe as he scuffed a good chance wide of the goal on 83 minutes.

As it was, City saw the game out comfortably. Hodges brought on Andrew Taylor to sure things up in midfield and the tireless Yetton chased down every clearance from the visiting defence. Hayles also played his part in injury time as he used his strength and experience to run down the clock by protecting possession, near the corner flags in the opposition's half.

Team: Martin Rice, Barry McConnell, Scott Walker, Arran Pugh, Steve Adams, Jake Ash (c), Wayne Carlisle, Marcus Martin, Les Afull,Barry Hayles, Dan Smith. Substitutes: Joe Broad, Tom Brooks (gk), Danny Clay, Andrew Taylor, Stewart Yetton.