EMIRATES FA CUP THIRD QUALIFYING ROUND

Truro City 4 Cirencester Town 0

TRURO City are potentially just one game away from the First Round Proper for just the second time in their history after easing past Hellenic Premier League side Cirencester Town.

The Centurions headed down from Gloucestershire as big underdogs – playing three leagues below their National League South promotion-chasing hosts – however to get this far they had won four ties, including a superb replay victory at Truro’s league rivals Farnham Town.

Truro boss John Askey made six changes from the side that won 2-1 at Maidstone United a week earlier in the league, five of which were rotation, while goalscoring hero Jack Stretton failed a late fitness test.

In superb conditions at the TCS, an excellent crowd of 1,638 saw the hosts dominate from the off and they took the lead eight minutes in as Ben Starkie superbly volleyed in from 20 yards from Omar Bogle’s headed lay-off.

Cirencester have ambitions of their own and showed they carried a threat as midfielder Henry Birkett’s opportunistic strike from 40 yards struck the crossbar on 11 minutes.

Soon after at the other end, Tom Tweedy’s cross from the right was deflected onto the post by a defender from Tyler Harvey’s header.

The Centurions weren’t far away again on 20 minutes when Sol Pryce’s acrobatic effort landed on the top of the net, while on the half-hour Cirencester keeper Connor Johns was thankful his clearance that struck Starkie didn’t go into his own net.

Harvey couldn’t make a clean connection when well-placed after Bogle’s shot was deflected into his path, but he got the second on 37 minutes, burying a header from Luke Jephcott’s floated free-kick from the left.

Knowing one more goal before the break would all but seal the tie, Truro piled on the pressure with Bogle forcing a good save from Johns’ feet from the edge of the box, while centre-half Max Kinsey headed the resulting corner over and then couldn’t divert another headed effort on target, this time from one of Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain’s famous long throws.

Truro continued to enjoy most of the ball after the break and within the first 10 minutes saw left wing-back Ryan Law shoot over and then have a goal-bound header hacked away by the impressive Ed Scott, who then nodded over at the other end.

Bogle was the first of five City changes after the hour on 62 minutes as Harvey Greenslade replaced him, while the Centurions also emptied the bench.

But it was Starkie that missed a sitter on 63 minutes from Jephcott’s cross as he failed to make a meaningful contact, but he made amends 10 minutes later as he controlled sub Will Dean’s goal-bound shot before blasting in from 10 yards.

Shortly after, Johns made a brilliant save to deny stand-in skipper Tom Harrison despite initially going the wrong way, but the fourth arrived on 79 minutes with Harrison again involved. His speculative ball in wasn’t dealt with and Greenslade prodded in from close-range.

Truro brought on Nottingham Forest loanee Zyan Blake with 10 minutes remaining, the winger making a couple of promising runs having joined this week, but all eyes are now on Monday afternoon’s draw which sees National League clubs enter the fray.

The Tinners, sixth in the table, are back in league action on Tuesday night at promoted Farnham Town (7.45pm).

TRURO CITY: Aidan Stone; Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tom Harrison (capt – Zac Bell, 80), Max Kinsey, Ryan Law; Tom Tweedy (Will Dean, 72), Luke Jephcott (Yassine En Neyah, 72), Tom Dean, Ben Starkie; Omar Bogle (Harvey Greenslade, 62), Tyler Harvey (Zyan Blake, 80). Subs not used: Dan Lavercombe (gk), Connor Riley-Lowe.