Lee Hodges: 'Abject' first half cost Truro City, says manager

Former Tottenham, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay defender Hodges is in his second spell in charge at Truro City

Truro City boss Lee Hodges blamed his side's dismal first half display for their 2-1 loss at East Thurrock in National League South.

Sam Higgins scored twice in the opening period before Andrew Neal's late penalty pulled one back for City.

"For 45 minutes we were abject, we never really got going," Hodges told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"We looked lethargic, there was no tempo to us and it seemed it was mistake after mistake."

The defeat left Truro in sixth place, but with a two-point buffer on Braintree, the side immediately below the play-off places, with six games left.

"We're sixth, if someone had said before the start of the season 'you're sixth with six to go' you'd snap their hands off," added the Truro boss.

"The boys have worked extremely hard to put themselves in the position to give ourselves a chance of competing to go into the next level of football, which is an unbelievable achievement.

"But we know that first 45 minutes won't get us anywhere, but the second half performance will."