By Gareth Davies at Priory Lane

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH

Eastbourne Borough 0 Truro City 0

TRURO City had to be content with a share of the spoils against fellow high fliers Eastbourne Borough on Saturday.

The game, played out in sub-zero East Sussex temperatures and in front of a 1,170 crowd, saw City have the better chances in the first half, while Sports shaded the clear cut opportunities after the turnaround.

During the opening stanza, Tom Harrison hit the woodwork while Eastbourne’s leading scorer George Alexander headed wide when well placed as time ticked down.

City boss John Askey made one change from the side which defeated Hornchurch 2-1 on home soil seven days previously. In attack, Dom Johnson-Fisher replaced Jaze Kabia with the latter named amongst a strong-looking Truro bench.

The Irish hitman was joined by Yassine En-Neyah, making his first appearance since late November due to a hamstring strain.

And two of City’s recent loan recruits in the shape of Manny Maja and Zac Bell joined last Saturday’s goalscoring hero Andrew Neal in hoping to make an impact if called upon.

The hosts raced from the traps and for the first 10 minutes, were the better side with Tom Harrison rescuing his side after Yahaya Bamba had nipped in ahead of City incumbent Dan Lavercombe.

Eastbourne captain Alfie Pavey then had his side’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes, heading Pierce Bird’s free-kick just wide.

But that was Borough’s lot as from that moment on, until referee Harry Wager blew for half-time, City were dominant.

Ryan Law fired narrowly wide from outside the box before Johnson-Fisher worked an opportunity to shoot and his effort was deflected wide.

For a side that had kept four consecutive clean sheets, Eastbourne looked decidedly shaky at the back as the half wore on and stopper Joe Wright presented Tyler Harvey with a glorious opportunity to score, after clearing the ball straight to City’s number nine.

Wright redeemed himself with a fine low save as City then forced a succession of corners.

Just after the half hour mark, Harrison glanced Will Dean’s free-kick onto the post before the former Bristol City defender had a similar opportunity which missed the target, as the break approached.

When the whistle did finally blow, Eastbourne would have been relieved to escape the City onslaught to the sanctuary of the dressing room but crucially, they had survived.

And they were much-improved in the second stanza but it was City who almost drew first blood with 19 minutes to go as Billy Palfrey rose well, but couldn’t keep his flicked header on target.

Then, as the half wore on, midfielder Michael Klass fluffed his lines when well placed, firing wide, before Alexander failed to hit the target with a header.

City, who have garnered 12 points by scoring seven injury-time goals so far this term, tried to repeat the dose but Law could only find the side netting, while Kabia had an effort on target that lacked the power to seriously threaten Wright.

TRURO CITY: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harrison, Sanders, Riley-Lowe, Palfrey (En-Neyah, 78), Dean, Rooney (Maja, 78), Law, Harvey, Johnson-Fisher (Kabia, 65). Subs not used: Bell, Neal.

EASTBOURNE BOROUGH: Wright, Gbadebo (Diarra, 68), Kensdale, Bird, Clarke (Sesay, 78), Odusanya, Klass, Johnson, Innocent, Pavey (Shamolo, 68), Bamba (Alexander, 68). Sub not used: Alibi.