By Gareth Davies at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH (SATURDAY)

Enfield Town 3 Truro City 2

TRURO City kept hold of second place in the National League South standings, despite a stoppage-time reverse at struggling Enfield Town.

The Tinners dominated the opening 45 minutes and led thanks to a brace of Tyler Harvey penalties.

But straight after the turnaround, Harry Sidwell halved the arrears with Enfield missing a 68th minute penalty of their own, when Dan Lavercombe kept out Sam Youngs’ weak effort.

It looked like City would prevail as the game moved into additional time, but Ollie Knight had other ideas, scoring twice in the space of 90 seconds to break Cornish hearts.

After Tuesday’s win over Chippenham, City boss John Askey named the same starting line-up and five substitutes for a first ever trip to the Queen Elizabrth II Stadium.

City started well on a bobbly surface and after Harvey was pulled to the ground in the box, referee Nathan Oakes pointed to the spot. Harvey dusted himself down, bagging his 22nd goal of the season.

Tyler Harvey.
Tyler Harvey celebrates after keeping his cool from the spot. Picture: Josh Smith/PPAUK (Josh Smith/PPAUK)

Shortly after, Harvey was denied by a fingertip save from home custodian Joe Wright as City looked to increase their advantage.

Connor Riley-Lowe, looking for a fourth consecutive Saturday goal, had an effort blocked before Harvey headed just wide.

Enfield, who have hauled themselves out of the drop zone in recent weeks, saw Youngs fire wide when well placed and they also had a penalty claim waved away.

After the half hour mark, Jaze Kabia called Wright into action once more before Truro went further ahead five minutes before the break.

Luke Jephcott was wrestled to the ground in the area and up stepped Harvey again, to repeat his earlier dose.

Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jaze Kabia
Truro's Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) and Jaze Kabia tussle with Enfield's Hisham Kasimu. Picture: Josh Smith/PPAUK (Josh Smith/PPAUK)

Enfield’s reaction to a distinctly second best performance in the opening period was to thrust Sidwell into the fray, with the AFC Wimbledon loanee making an almost instant impact.

He picked up a loose ball in midfield, drove forward, and unleashed an unstoppable effort into the top corner from distance.

The game, unsurprisingly, given the playing surface, descended into a scrappy affair with both sides cancelling each other out until 23 minutes from time.

A home corner was delivered by Lennon Peake and in the midst of a penalty box scramble, the referee ruled that Will Dean had committed a foul.

Up stepped Youngs for the spot-kick, who hit a weak effort straight into Lavercombe’s grasp after the visiting incumbent had guessed correctly.

Dan Lavercombe
Truro keeper Dan Lavercombe guesses correctly to save Sam Youngs' penalty. Picture: Josh Smith/PPAUK (Josh Smith/PPAUK)

Home heads visibly dropped and City dominated without testing Wright but eight minutes from time, Jephcott struck the woodwork from inside the six-yard box.

If that effort had found the mark, it would have surely been game over and despite City seemingly seeing out the game comfortably, there would be a late sting in the tail, similar to that which Truro have inflicted on others this term.

A throw on the right-hand side for Enfield saw the ball find its way into the box, with the scraps turned home by Knight, on as a substitute.

Knight, who followed his manager Gavin Macpherson from Met Police to Enfield in 2023, then won the game for his side with another close-range finish.

TRURO CITY: Lavercombe; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dean, Law; Bell, En-Neyah (Palfrey, 79), Rooney, Riley-Lowe (capt); Jephcott, Kabia (Sanders, 90), Harvey. Subs not used: Love-Holmes, Neal, Johnson-Fisher.