By Jon Harland
Hampton & Richmond suffered their first league defeat at home since October as Truro City secured a 3-1 victory at the Beveree Stadium.
Tom Harrison, Luke Jephcott, and Jaze Kabia fired the Tinners into a commanding three-goal lead before Alfie Williams netted a late consolation, ten minutes after Alex Wall was sent off.
The Beavers remain ninth in the National League South and Truro stay seventh, but the former now sit eight points adrift of the coveted play-off spots.
The first chance fell to Hampton & Richmond after five minutes, as Kristian Campbell sprayed a ball to James Roberts down the right whose volley was caught by Dan Lavercombe.
Truro pressed aggressively from the off, overwhelming the home side at times and creating a few early chances.
After bombing down the right flank, Zac Bell saw his shot take a deflection, forcing Hampton keeper Max Merrick to tip it out for a corner after 22 minutes.
The visitors broke the deadlock before the half-hour mark thanks to Harrison, who rose highest to head in Connor Riley-Lowe’s inswinging freekick from the right.
Truro nearly doubled their lead moments later as Kabia had a couple of shots blocked before Merrick saved an effort from Billy Palfrey.
George Hunt had an opportunity to level the game just before half time, getting on the end of a set piece with a header, but his effort was comfortably saved.
Looking for a reaction, Alan Julian made three attack-minded half-time substitutions as Campbell, Roberts, and Jerry Wiltshire made way for Wall, Makise Evans, and Archie Taylor.
The Tinners found a second ten minutes after the break when the home side sloppily lost possession and Kabia’s cross from the right found Jephcott, whose first-time effort beat Merrick.
Williams, who was brought on in the 68th minute, found a yard of space just inside the Truro box shortly after coming on, but his shot was gathered by Lavercombe.
The referee awarded a penalty after Wall brought down a Truro player as Riley-Lowe swung in a corner in the 75th minute.
Wall, already booked for the foul, was shown a second yellow for dissent, reducing the Beavers to ten men for the final 15 minutes.
Kabia confidently dispatched the penalty into the left hand corner, sending Merrick the wrong way to put the Tinners 3-0 up.
Beavers didn’t give up and were rewarded when Williams drove with the ball from his own half all the way into the Truro box and fired past Lavercombe’s near post to make it 3-1.
This superb solo goal wasn’t enough to salvage anything from the match, and at full-time the visitors travelled back to Cornwall with all three points.
While the result is disappointing for those of a Beavers persuasion, this is just the second loss in 12 league games for Julian’s side.
Elsewhere in the division, eighth placed Weston-super-Mare overturned Boreham Wood to extend the gap from Hampton & Richmond to six points.
Tonbridge would have leapfrogged the Beavers with a win, but fell to a home defeat against Worthing, leaving the Angels a point behind in tenth.
Hampton & Richmond travel to sixth-placed Eastbourne Borough on Tuesday, with both sides looking to bounce back from defeat, after the Sports’ last outing ended in a loss to Torquay.
Following Tuesday night the BEAVERS are back at BEVEREE to face Chippenham Town on Saturday the 15th February. Tickets can be purchased HERE.