FA Trophy: Stockport County 5-0 Truro City

TRURO City’s BuildBase FA Trophy campaign came to an end on Saturday after being well beaten 5-0 by National League North side Stockport County at Edgeley Park, writes Cameron Weldon.

With ten players out due to injury and being cup tied, the White Tigers headed north with a much-depleted squad, so much so that forty-seven-year-old assistant manager Michael Meaker was named amongst the three City substitutes.

The game was always going to be a challenge, even without such a high absentee list and the home side took the lead after just three minutes on the clock.

After a number of early corners which City dealt with, the third lead to Stockport opening the scoring. Good work on the left-hand side from Darren Stephenson resulted in his pull back being finished off well by the inform Matty Warburton for 1-0.

Truro were well and truly under the cosh and the County pressure just kept coming.

The inevitable second came on 18 minutes after some fantastic build up play from Stockport which ended up with Adam Thomas having a shot saved by Buse, only for the ball to land to the feet of Warburton who smashed in his second.

Truro’s best chance of the half fell to the man they would have wanted it to, in Tyler Harvey but his effort was right at the Stockport goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe who had quite a quiet afternoon.

Stockport’s lead soon went to three, and the brilliant Warburton had his hat-trick, as he fired a shot from the edge of the box past a helpless Will Buse on twenty-eight minutes.

It was four within a heartbeat. With Truro frustrated and overrun, Stockport quickly won the ball back straight from kick off and after some quick passing, the ball eventually landed to Stephenson who turned and finished well.

Despite more worrying moments before half time, with a number of chances going wayward, City managed to go into half time with just the 4-0 deficit.

County’s pressure continued into the second half and they should have made it five, although a stunning last ditched tackle from Jordan Bentley prevented them from doing so.

It wasn’t long after, that the fifth eventually came. Warburton adding his fourth of the afternoon on sixty-five minutes and killing any Truro hope with a superb finish.

Truro failed to threaten in the second period, and despite Buse being forced into a number of top draw saves, Stockport couldn’t find a sixth.

A battling and tiring performance from a much-depleted City side who, on the day we’re outclassed by a Stockport County team who are challenging for promotion in the National League North.

The White Tigers have a week to recover before they are back in action on Saturday 19th, where bottom of the league Weston Super Mare head to Treyew Road in the National League South.

Stockport: Hinchliffe, Minihan, Palmer, Stott, Duxbury, Keane, Turnbull (Walker 67), Thomas, Mulhern, Warburton (Kirby 73), Stephenson (Osborne 80).

Truro: Buse, Thompson, Riley-Lowe, Richards, Bentley, Booth, D Rooney, Battle, Keats (L Rooney 85), Harvey, Lewington.

Attendance: 1,677