(Picture: @kevandsal)
By Matt Bishop
The only Truro City player to be born in Cornwall has said reaching the FA Cup first round proper with his local club is “extra special.”
24-year-old Cody Cooke, a teacher at Exeter College, was raised in Penryn, near Falmouth, and played a pivotal role in his team's historic win over Hampton & Richmond.
However, after assisting Noah Keats for the opener, Cooke could only watch on from the half-way line as Hampton's Dan Sweeney had the chance to level late on from the penalty spot – before City ‘keeper Tom McHale brilliantly denied him.
Soon after, Keats notched his second of the game to seal the win, meaning Truro are the first Cornish club in the first round for 48 years, and Cooke told Cornwall Live: “I'm still a little bit on cloud nine.
“I thought I'd come down until I got to work today and everybody was talking about the game.
“When the game got started I just thought what will be will be. They applied pressure early and had a few chances but when they didn't take them I began to think that it was meant to be.
“I flicked one on for Noah and he got the first and then it all went a bit mad.
“We gave away a penalty and I was stood on the halfway line chatting to one of their defenders who said they'd missed a load of penalties this season. I know that Tom had saved four out of five so there was only going to be one winner.
“They then went for it as they didn't want to come down here for a replay on Tuesday but we stuck to the gameplan and got the result.
“The bus journey home was brilliant. It was a great feeling with lots of singing and a few drinks.
“It's huge for Cornwall after all these years and it's extra special for me as I have the affiliation with the county.
“Although Truro has done well and gone up through the leagues there's always been that shadow of not making the FA Cup first round, but we felt it was only a matter of time before we had a run and now we've done it.”
