Pitching In Southern League
Premier South
Truro City 1, Taunton Town 1

TAUNTON Town maintained their unbeaten start to the 2020/21 season with a creditable point away to Truro City on Tuesday night.

Peacocks boss Rob Dray considers Truro one of the favourites for promotion this campaign - the White Tigers having topped the league standings when the 2019/20 season was terminated prematurely - and their squad boasted four players who had represented Taunton last term.

Ed Palmer had already moved back to Treyew Road, to be joined by Ryan Brett, Andrew Neal and Shane White over the summer.

Those departures forced Dray to revamp his squad, but it was the new-look Peacocks who made the brighter start, with Ollie Chamberlain creating a chance for Toby Holmes - but the striker was unable to improve on his record of five goals in three games, as goalkeeper James Hamon made the save.

Hamon was in action again soon after, denying Gethyn Hill with a point-blank save from a corner, while his opposite number Lloyd Irish made a smart one-on-one stop to prevent Dan Rooney putting the hosts ahead.

The breakthrough came after 29 minutes, when Jay Foulston's free-kick was headed back across goal and Taunton captain Nick Grimes nodded in from close range.

The visitors' lead only lasted six minutes, however, as White claimed an assist against his former club - crossing for Rooney to head in.

Chances came and went at both ends, with Neal coming off the bench for Truro and Brett posing a familiar threat in seeing a free-kick, then another shot five minutes later, kept out by Irish.

Holmes had the ball in the net at the other end, meanwhile, only to be flagged offside, while Hill sent an effort wide from a Foulston free-kick as the match finished 1-1 - just as the corresponding fixture had last season.

Taunton Town: Lloyd Irish, Jamie Short, Jay Foulston, Ben Adelsbury, Nick Grimes (c), Jake Wannell, Joe Guest, Ollie Chamberlain, Dan Sullivan (Dan McBeam 79), Toby Holmes (Owen Howe 82), Gethyn Hill. Subs not used: Ross Staley, Jordan Copp. Attendance: 482.

The Peacocks now turn their attention to a tasty-looking FA Cup second round qualifying tie away to arch-rivals Tiverton Town, this coming Saturday (3pm).

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Taunton head of football Rob Dray told the County Gazette: "Truro are favourites for the league, and for a few ifs and buts we could have got all three points.

"We would have taken a point before the start, and while there was some disappointment among our lads at the end, Truro are a good side with a lot of good players, so I'm very proud of our performance.

"Our first-half showing, away from home, when we really took the game to them and played like the home team was testament to our boys - they put everything on the line.

"We've very happy [with our unbeaten start to the season], and there's really good signs that we're gelling well as a side.

"There's a nice feel around the characters in the changing room."