Hawks lose amid controversy
By Howard Griggs
Whitehawk 0, Truro City 1.
WHITEHAWK'S FA Vase dream ended amid controversy on and off the pitch at a packed East Brighton Park.
Visitors Truro clinched a place in the semi-finals courtesy of Stewart Yetton's header four minutes from time.
advertisement
But Hawks were convinced referee Steve Cook should have disallowed the goal for handball.
Off the pitch, trouble flared between rival supporters in the closing stages to cast a shadow on what should have been a great day for the home club.
A crowd of 1,009 created quite a buzz around the ground before kick-off.
There are not many occasions when visiting supporters take photographs of each other posing at East Brighton Park but that summed up the sense of occasion.
The pitch looked good despite an overnight deluge which had claimed a number of games around the county.
Manager Ian Chapman made two changes to the team that beat Quorn in the previous round, Warren Buss and Graham Martin returning from suspension and injury respectively.
Hawks almost made a disastrous start when Truro struck the woodwork with just a minute played. A free-kick played into the area fell kindly for Yetton whose shot was touched on to the far post by goalkeeper Ross Standen.
Yetton, rated at £1 million by his own chairman after 47 goals this season, looked a lively customer although his finish on 18 minutes after sprinting clear of the defence drew ironic chants from the home supporters.
Hawks struggled to get their football going in the opening half hour and their frustrations spilled over with bookings for Ryan McBride and Buss.
Truro threatened to break the deadlock twice in as many minutes. Kevin Wills' effort was blocked by Toby Phillips and then Scott Walker screwed his shot past the far post.
It took Hawks 40 minutes to create a chance of note but it was arguably the best opportunity of the half as Kevin Townsend played in Lee Newman whose shot was well saved by Dan Stevenson.
Truro had certainly bossed the first 45 minutes. They looked quicker, sharper with the ball and more creative going forward but they still had nothing to show for their efforts.
The pattern of the game did not change after the interval although Truro were still let down by their shooting, Walker clearing the bar with a shot from the edge of the area.
The visitors were forced into a change ten minutes into the second half when Graeme Power was forced off following a clash of heads and was replaced by Jon Routledge.
Hawks made a tactical switch at the same time, Danny Bird replacing Buss and soon after 37- year-old striker Ashley Carr joined the fray.
The visitors continued to create the better openings and Wills wasted another great opportunity after swapping passes with Yetton.
A minute later Yetton showed some real quality to scythe through the Hawks' defence but his shot lacked conviction and Standen made a comfortable save.
That summed up Truro's afternoon. They had created chances but did not look like a side averaging five goals a game in the Western League.
The banter between rival fans had appeared good natured until this point but it boiled over in the closing stages and Chapman was forced to leave the dugout to try to calm down angry Hawks' supporters as they confronted the travelling contingent.
There was now a real edge to proceedings and the mood worsened among home supporters as Truro finally broke the deadlock with four minutes remaining.
Ian Gosling slung over a corner from the left which appeared to be punched out of Standen's reach and the ball fell for Yetton to nod home at the far post.
Whitehawk: Standen, Buss (sub Bird 56), Hill, Gunn, Beech (sub Pattenden 90), Phillips, Newman, Green, McBride, Townsend (sub Carr 62), G.Martin. Subs not used: Millis, Bunch.
Truro: Stevenson, Ash, Power (sub Routledge 56), Smith, M.Martin, Broad, Wills, Gosling, Yetton, Hooper, Walker. Subs not used: Watkin, Reski, Pope, Butcher.
Referee: Steve Cook (Woking)
By Howard Griggs
Whitehawk 0, Truro City 1.
WHITEHAWK'S FA Vase dream ended amid controversy on and off the pitch at a packed East Brighton Park.
Visitors Truro clinched a place in the semi-finals courtesy of Stewart Yetton's header four minutes from time.
advertisement
But Hawks were convinced referee Steve Cook should have disallowed the goal for handball.
Off the pitch, trouble flared between rival supporters in the closing stages to cast a shadow on what should have been a great day for the home club.
A crowd of 1,009 created quite a buzz around the ground before kick-off.
There are not many occasions when visiting supporters take photographs of each other posing at East Brighton Park but that summed up the sense of occasion.
The pitch looked good despite an overnight deluge which had claimed a number of games around the county.
Manager Ian Chapman made two changes to the team that beat Quorn in the previous round, Warren Buss and Graham Martin returning from suspension and injury respectively.
Hawks almost made a disastrous start when Truro struck the woodwork with just a minute played. A free-kick played into the area fell kindly for Yetton whose shot was touched on to the far post by goalkeeper Ross Standen.
Yetton, rated at £1 million by his own chairman after 47 goals this season, looked a lively customer although his finish on 18 minutes after sprinting clear of the defence drew ironic chants from the home supporters.
Hawks struggled to get their football going in the opening half hour and their frustrations spilled over with bookings for Ryan McBride and Buss.
Truro threatened to break the deadlock twice in as many minutes. Kevin Wills' effort was blocked by Toby Phillips and then Scott Walker screwed his shot past the far post.
It took Hawks 40 minutes to create a chance of note but it was arguably the best opportunity of the half as Kevin Townsend played in Lee Newman whose shot was well saved by Dan Stevenson.
Truro had certainly bossed the first 45 minutes. They looked quicker, sharper with the ball and more creative going forward but they still had nothing to show for their efforts.
The pattern of the game did not change after the interval although Truro were still let down by their shooting, Walker clearing the bar with a shot from the edge of the area.
The visitors were forced into a change ten minutes into the second half when Graeme Power was forced off following a clash of heads and was replaced by Jon Routledge.
Hawks made a tactical switch at the same time, Danny Bird replacing Buss and soon after 37- year-old striker Ashley Carr joined the fray.
The visitors continued to create the better openings and Wills wasted another great opportunity after swapping passes with Yetton.
A minute later Yetton showed some real quality to scythe through the Hawks' defence but his shot lacked conviction and Standen made a comfortable save.
That summed up Truro's afternoon. They had created chances but did not look like a side averaging five goals a game in the Western League.
The banter between rival fans had appeared good natured until this point but it boiled over in the closing stages and Chapman was forced to leave the dugout to try to calm down angry Hawks' supporters as they confronted the travelling contingent.
There was now a real edge to proceedings and the mood worsened among home supporters as Truro finally broke the deadlock with four minutes remaining.
Ian Gosling slung over a corner from the left which appeared to be punched out of Standen's reach and the ball fell for Yetton to nod home at the far post.
Whitehawk: Standen, Buss (sub Bird 56), Hill, Gunn, Beech (sub Pattenden 90), Phillips, Newman, Green, McBride, Townsend (sub Carr 62), G.Martin. Subs not used: Millis, Bunch.
Truro: Stevenson, Ash, Power (sub Routledge 56), Smith, M.Martin, Broad, Wills, Gosling, Yetton, Hooper, Walker. Subs not used: Watkin, Reski, Pope, Butcher.
Referee: Steve Cook (Woking)
Burn them
