REGAN Booty’s deflected strike and an injury time second from Matt Rush combined to break the stubborn resistance of ten man Truro City and earn Boreham Wood a spot in the National League Cup final on Tuesday night.

The two teams, who have resumed hostilities this season after respective promotions from National League South last term, traded chances throughout an entertaining first half of football in Hertfordshire.

Will Dean twice came close for the Tinners against a Wood side lucky not to be behind by their own hand, with a defensive header bouncing off the top of their crossbar inside the opening quarter of an hour.

City’s defence stood up to waves of retaliation from the hosts, and their task wasn’t helped by a professional foul that saw Rekeil Pyke shown a straight red card on the hour mark. Indeed, the pressure finally told with Booty and Rush scoring late to send Wood through.

In the midst of a National League survival race, manager John Askey took the chance to rotate his squad and provide minutes to a few players who have found themselves on the fringes in recent weeks.

Plymouth Argyle loanee Caleb Roberts made his full debut, alongside fellow Pilgrim Freddie Issaka, who was looking to build on a promising debut performance in Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at FC Halifax Town. Dan Lavercombe, Zac Bell, Ryan Law, Max Kinsey and George Cooper also came in.

It was the Wood who carved out the first opportunity of the evening, with Luke Norris heading wide of the mark before the travelling Tinners settled into more of a rhythm and made things difficult with their trademark high press. Their early energy forced the hosts into a set of early errors, for which they were able to atone before any serious danger.

One such press resulted in a throw, deep down the left channel, which Bell delivered into a crowded penalty area. It met the head of a Wood defender, whose heart was in his mouth as he watched the ball bounce back off his own crossbar and behind for a corner. City played second fiddle in the next phase of the game though, as Wood looked to make good of their home advantage.

Law and Kinsey were forced into crucial blocks, the former at the expense of a corner which was fed neatly into the path of an unmarked Charlie O’Connell, who blasted over the bar from the edge of the D. Teammate Booty caused concern with a lofted free-kick that ultimately drifted wide, before Aaron Henry shot into the side-netting – blissfully unaware of the linesman’s flag.

Joe Newton was next to try his luck, heading over the bar, before City turned up the heat once again in the build-up to the break. Issaka found some space midway into the opposition half and the teenager took it upon himself to lead the charge towards goal. He cut onto his right foot and went to pull the trigger before being hauled down rather unceremoniously.

Dean got some power behind the subsequent free-kick but found a goalkeeper in Ted Curd that was equal to it. The Chelsea-loanee must have seen it late but managed to get there at full stretch to make the save. His opposite number, Lavercombe, made an equally fine stop just moments later when seemingly defying physics to push Henry’s effort onto the post.

Another presentable chance fell to City before the half was out and it was a combination of Bell’s handy long throws and Dean’s presence of mind that almost resulted in the deadlock being broken. Bell caused chaos inside the danger area with a defensive header falling nicely for Dean, who had occupied a position on the edge of the box. He caught the ball on the volley but fired it into the ground and wide of the target.

The Tinners grabbed the upper hand early in the second-half too, with Law’s cross headed only to Pyke, who nodded past Curd but over his bar too. Wood manager Luke Garrard reacted to the signs by shuffling his pack, introducing Zak Brunt. Back came City however, with Pyke’s persistence earning a corner which Law was inches from connecting with.

Pyke’s enthusiasm spilled over moments later though, as his late challenge prompted referee Andrew Humphries to send him for an early shower, leaving Askey’s charges to play the remaining 30 minutes a man light. The City boss himself was also shown red, after displaying his dismay at the decision.

On came Tyler Harvey and Dominic Johnson-Fisher, who were straight in and amongst it. In fact, you would have been hard pressed to say which team were the ones down to ten, as City turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye. DJF took on multiple defenders and beat them all before arrowing a strike narrowly past the post.

City dug in at the other end as Wood threw heaven and earth their way in search of an opener. They were only millimeters away when a shot ricocheted off Kinsey and flashed wide. That corner that followed was headed into the net but the goal ruled out for a foul on Dean.

The attacks came thick and fast but Truro’s staunch rearguard action appeared to have it all covered. That was until the 85th minute when, running out of ideas, Wood opted to strike from range. Fortuitously on their part, an effort from Booty took a wicked deflection and looped over a despairing Lavercombe. As the old saying goes, it was going to take a wonder strike or something scrappy to turn the tide, and so it was.

Far from throwing in the towel, City went forward in search of an equaliser and almost got it when Dean’s driven effort from distance brought another diving save out of Curd in the dying embers. Luke Jephcott came close too, meeting Harvey’s glancing header with an acrobatic effort that whistled just over.

Having thrown bodies forward, City were caught on the break late on, leading to Rush beating Lavercombe and sealing Wood’s place in the final, where they’ll meet a West Ham under-21s side that overcame Tamworth 3-1 on the same evening.

Next? Three successive fixtures against other sides in the bottom half of the National League, with Gateshead (Saturday, February 21) and Braintree Town (Saturday, February 28) visiting The TCS either side of Truro’s trip to Eastleigh on Wednesday, February 25.

The games take on extra importance given Sutton United’s 2-1 win over Woking in Tuesday’s round of domestic fixtures, a result that extends the gap between the Tinners and National League safety to some eight points.

TRURO CITY: Lavercombe, Bell (Oxlade-Chamberlain, 77), Dean, Hasani, Roberts (Harvey, 64), Issaka (Johnson-Fisher, 64), Pyke, Law, Kinsey (Stretton, 90+2), Kite (Jephcott, 77), Cooper. Subs not used: Stone: Harrison

Referee: Andrew Humphries.

Attendance: 678.