Truro City picked up their first win of the season with a thoroughly deserved triumph over Maidstone United.
The Tinners, after dominating the match, were only one goal to the good as time ticked down, thanks to Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first half strike.
And after passing up a host of presentable chances, Maidstone restored parity in the 85th minute when substitute Reiss Greenidge forced the ball home from a corner.
City then dusted themselves down and after Will Dean’s free-kick caused mayhem in the home box, the ball was forced over the line by Jaze Kabia.
Referee Morgan Conn didn’t initially give the goal, but his assistant Josh Williams immediately signalled that it was over the line and Truro had a second.
That wasn’t the end of the drama as in the ninth minute of stoppage time, Bruno Andrade’s goalbound effort was heroically blocked on the line by Ryan Law.
Before the late action, Truro had made all the running as they looked to bounce back from an opening day reverse at the hands of Dorking Wanderers.
City’s first chance of note came after just five minutes when Tyler Harvey stung the palms of home custodian Alexis Andre Jnr.
And this started a procession of goalscoring opportunities that John Askey’s charges fashioned before the turnaround.
The one they made count came from a Dean free-kick, which was headed back across goal by Tom Harrison, for Oxlade-Chamberlain to score from inside the six-yard box.
Shortly before going ahead, City were denied by Andre Jnr with the one-time Truro incumbent pulling off a top save, after Harvey worked himself a shooting opportunity in the box.
After Oxlade-Chamberlain’s goal, Dean had a fizzing effort cleared off the line and the Kiderminster loanee could only glance a free-kick wide.
Harvey, who, along with Dom Johnso-Fisher ran Maidstone ragged in the first half, then set up Dean perfectly but from the edge of the box, he could only fire over.
Maidstone’s first attack of note should have seen them level but a combination of a Harrison block, and a wonderful point-blank save from Dan Lavercombe, denied both Arron Blair and Riley Court.
Into the second stanza and the game became something of a stop start affair which, for the most part, played into Truro’s hands.
That was until seven minutes from time when George Fowler fell awkwardly and was replaced, after a lengthy spell of treatment, by Greenidge.
The towering Guyanan, with his first touch of the ball, saw an effort cleared off the line by Harvey before he equalised.
It looked like being an undeserved share of the spoils for the hosts until another Dean set-piece went into a dangerous area and after a scramble, Kabia was credited with the final touch.
Harvey also had chances to put the game to bed in the dying embers before Law’s heroics helped Truro hold on to get their latest league campaign up and running.
City: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harrison, Sanders, Law, Love-Holmes (Riley-Lowe, 90), Sanogo, Dean, En-Neyah, Harvey, Johnson-Fisher (Kabia, 77). Subs not used: Palfrey, Kuleya, Jones.
Maidstone: Andre Jr, Eweka, Brookes, Fowler (Greenidge, 84), Corne, Blair, Benton, Krasniqi (Coulthurst, 58), Bentley (Andrade, 64), Court (Fonkeu, 78), Smith. Sub not used: Holden.
Referee: Morgan Conn
Attendance: 2,382
Pirates Keen to Put Up a Good Performance
