U21 Report: Truro City 2-1 Saints
Southampton Under-21s' National League Cup campaign began with a narrow defeat in Truro on Tuesday night.
A goalless opening 45 minutes meant all the drama came in the second half, as Max Kinsey and Jack Stretton struck to put the hosts comfortably ahead.
Half-time substitute Harry Gathercole instilled late hope, but it wasn't to be for Adam Lallana's side who came away from Cornwall empty handed.
The Tinners ventured all the way to the final four of the competition last season, but it was Saints who had the first chance of the night as Princewill Ehibhatiomhan blazed an effort over the bar inside 10 minutes.
At the other end, Dylan Moody took two attempts to keep out Zac Bell's strike as both sides traded early blows.
The visitors thought they'd taken the lead midway through the half when Lewis Bailey latched onto a ball over the top, coolly slotting past Aidan Stone, only to be denied by the linesman's flag.
Harry Gathercole opened his account for the season (Photo: Owen Wallis)
Truro were then forced into a change between the sticks as Dan Lavercombe entered the fray, quickly called into action to keep out Ehibhatiomhan's well-hit shot to keep it even at the break.
Ending the half in the ascendency, Lallana's side then fell behind eight minutes after the restart, as Kinsey ghosted in at the back post to nod home Will Dean's free-kick delivery.
In response, Ehibhatiomhan forced another save from Lavercombe, before firing a further two shots wide of the target as the minutes began to tick down.
Instead, Truro put the result beyond doubt when Stretton converted a cross to double the lead, meaning Gathercole's late effort was nothing more than a consolation for Saints who suffered a first defeat of the season.
Truro City: Stone (Lavercombe 25’), Bell (Riley-Lowe 84’), W Dean (Jephcott 63’), Harrison, Johnson-Fisher (Stretton 63’), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Colwell 63’), Love-Holmes, Nunn, Starkie, Kinsey, T Dean.
Unused substitutes: Matthews, Tweedy.
Goals: Kinsey (53’), Stretton (89’).
Booked: Starkie.
Southampton: Moody, Whittaker, Sewell (Larios 62’), Kayi Sanda, Anderson, Kakay (Day 74’), Charles, McMullan, Sesay (Little 46’), Bailey (Gathercole 46’), Ehibhatiomhan.
Unused substitutes: Adjei-Afriyie, Sainsbury, Hawe.
Goals: Gathercole (90+1’).
Booked: Kayi Sanda, Ehibhatiomhan, Gathercole.
Referee: Sunny Singh Gill.
Attendance: 1,581.
