Truro City boss Lee Hodges was left with mixed feelings as a three-match unbeaten run in Blue Square Bet South ended at promotion-chasing Dover Athletic on Saturday.

Hodges said that, although City lost 3-1, he thought the team were "superb" and added: "It was one of our best performances in recent matches, which just goes to show how crazy football can be.

"Last week we drew and I was not happy with how we played, and yet this week I was more than happy with how we played and we lost.

"Obviously, we're all disappointed with the result. Football-wise though, I was pleased with every one of them. I patted all of them on the back when they came off because not one of them let me down. We went 4-5-1 with Barry Hayles up top, and stuck to our game-plan.

"Andy Watkins went out wide right, Les Afful on the left and Marcus Martin came into the middle with Jake Ash and Joe Broad. Haylesy was his usual handful and Watto and Les gave them plenty to think about throughout.

"They got a late, late goal when we were going gung-ho for a leveller, but the scoreline flatters them because we were not too happy about their penalty and Barry hit the post in the second half.

"I thought we deserved for the way we played was a draw. That's football.

"It's what makes us come back for more and I would like to think, if we play that well at Eastleigh next Saturday, we will have something to show for our efforts."

City took the lead when top scorer Scot Walker converted his tenth penalty of the season in the tenth minute after a home defender handled the ball in a goalmouth scramble.

City players appealed for another handball in the lead-up to George Purcell's 19th-minute leveller, while Walker was penalised when the ball struck his trailing arm from a 34th-minute cross by Jemal Johnson.

Former Milton Keynes Dons striker Johnson levelled from the spot-kick.

Still Truro took the game to the home side, and Hayles' header on the hour came back off the upright.

City were still bossing the game when home substitute Billy Bricknell broke to score Dover's third goal in stoppage time.

Truro slip to 12th in the 22-team table, 12 points above the relegation zone ahead of next Saturday's trip to eighth-placed Eastleigh, 4-0 winners at second-from-bottom Hampton & Richmond.

Truro City: Chenoweth; McConnell, Adams, Pugh, Walker, Watkins, Martin (Kelly 79), Ash, Broad, Hayles, Afful. Substitutes (not used): Brooks (gk), Cooke, Carne, Palmer.