Truro City 1, Hednesford Town 2

TRURO City boss Steve Thompson could hardly hide his frustration after watching his side surrender the lead for the second time in four days.

At least on Saturday at Oxford City, Truro managed a point, but on a wet and windy night at Treyew Road on Tuesday they slumped to their 11th league defeat of the season and their fifth at home.

When the recalled Stewart Yetton headed City into a 1-0 lead after 27 minutes it looked good for Thompson's men.

But again their inability to close out a game gave the Staffordshire side the chance to grab a win which kept alive their play-off hopes.

"It was very frustrating," said Thompson.

"Two mistakes by us cost us and that's been the story of late. We gave the ball away twice in our own half and got punished for it. It is a mentality you need to try and instil in players and at the moment we are not quite succeeding in doing that. Every time we make a mistake we seem to get punished for it."

"It was a tough night to play football and we never looked in any danger until the equaliser went in and then we struggled."

"I have been speaking to them for the last three months but we are still making mistakes.

For the game Thompson made two changes from the team that drew at Oxford with Barry McConnell coming in at right back for the injured Andy Lindegaard and Marvin Brown partnering Yetton up front, with Andy Watkins starting wide on the left and Danny Clay dropping to the bench.

Conditions were difficult but in a feisty first half City looked the better side and were good value for their 1-0 interval lead. The goal came when the visitors failed to clear a McConnell free-kick and the ball finally came to Watkins on the left.

He whipped the ball into the far post where a diving Yetton headed home for his eighth goal of the season.

And he should have had number nine just before the hour, but sliced horribly wide after good approach play by Marcus Martin and Brown.

It was to prove a costly miss as the Pitmen dug deep to turn the game around led by midfield maestro Elliott Durrell, who was behind most of their best attacks.

And it came as no real surprise when it was Durrell who levelled the scores after 71 minutes rifling in an angled shot from the right after substitute Ross Dyer took advantage of some sloppy Truro defending.

And four minutes later it was Dyer who profited again as City conceded possession with Durrell providing the scoring pass.

The closest City came to an equaliser was when Arran Pugh's point blank header from a Martin free-kick was kept out by Stuart Brock. But apart from that Hednesford looked comfortable and showed City how to defend a lead.

CITY: Rice; McConnell (Da Veiga 84), Ash (capt), Pugh, Watts; Afful (Walker 62), Martin, Taylor, Watkins; Yetton, Brown (Clay 78). Subs (not used): Tooze, Hodges.

Yellow cards: Pugh, Taylor, Martin.

HEDNESFORD TOWN: Brock; Platt (capt), Bailey, Francis, Martin; Durrell, Gomes, Craddock, Profitt; McGurk (Dyer 62), Barnett. Subs (not used): Walters, Flynn.

Booked: Barnett, Durrell

Referee: Roger Vaughan (Claverham, Somerset)

Man of the match: Elliott Durrell – the Hednesford playmaker was a class apart.

Crowd: 259.

Oxford City 2, Truro City 2

CITY had to settle for a point at Oxford City on Saturday, even though the home side had to play for more than a half the game with only 10 men.

Top scorer Andy Watkins gave City the perfect start with his 21st goal of the season when he converted a cross from Les Afful after only two minutes.

But the home side equalised immediately when Elliott Sandy headed home.

Marcus Martin though was unlucky not to restore the visitors' lead when his volley was superbly saved by home keeper Jon North, who is on loan from Coca-Cola Championship side Watford.

And after 16 minutes Oxford went 2-1 up when City defender Arran Pugh appeared to be fouled from behind, but nothing was given and although Martin Rice blocked the first shot Lee Steele followed up to score.

Oxford might well have had a penalty when Pugh appeared to trip Bell from behind before the home side were reduced to 10 men after 35 minutes.

Debutant Delroy Gordon, who played for Rugby against Truro last week, brought down Watkins as he broke clear on the edge of the area and was red carded.

North saved well from the resultant free-kick by Andy Taylor and from the corner Jake Ash hit the post.

But it wasn't until the 70th minute that City equalised with a Marcus Martin penalty after Ash had his shirt pulled at a corner.

Oxford City: North, Ballard, Davis, Savage, Gordon, Gunn, Bell (Janes 64), Sandy, Malone, Steele (Douglas 87), Harding (Clarke 38).

City: Rice, Martin (Tooze 81), Lindegaard, Pugh (Hodges 61), Ash, Clay, Taylor, Brown (Yetton 75), Watkins, Afful, Watts. Subs (Not used); McConnell, Da Veiga.

Goals: Watkins (2), Martin (pen), (68).

Oxford: Sandy (3) Steele (17),