TRURO City go into their crucial sixth round FA Vase tie with Sussex County League side Whitehawk on Saturday on the back of two very disappointing performances. Their slump, if that is how two games can be described, comes at a stage of the season when everything is there to be won or lost.

Until now they might have had strong designs on the former having swept all before them, but the defeat against Larkhall and the narrow 1-0 win against Torpoint, suggests that City may be currently relying on their reputation rather than their football ability to win matches.

Clubs in the Western league have woken up to the fact that unless they "up" their performance against City they could be on the end of a six or seven-goal drubbing, and in some cases even worse.

Larkhall did their homework and went home having fully deserved to have won the match, but City will need to take a look at themselves and not believe too much in the hype and invincible tag that has been attached to them by sections of the media. Nobody is invincible, but that doesn't prevent players from unconsciously allowing their performance to drop if they see it too often.

The alarm bells have been set, but they are not ringing just yet.

The quality of the squad is not in question and their match at Whitehawk on Saturday will provide an answer if they have got what it takes to go where no other Cornish club has gone before - into the semi-finals of the FA Carlsberg Vase.

City's director of football, Chris Webb, said he was disappointed by Saturday's display, but was delighted that they had another match (last night against Elmore) to get it out of their system.

"Form is a concern especially when you go into a big match such as the FA Vase quarter-finals," said Webb. "Perhaps that result will have given the players a big kick up the pants, because this is the business end of the season. It's no good achieving the results that we have done over two thirds of the season only to throw it away in the latter part.

"Larkhall deserved everything they got from the game because they worked so hard for the 90 minutes. We didn't have an answer, so I take off my hat to them.

"Yes, you have injuries and knocks, but we have the squad to cover those eventualities, so we should not see the sub-standard displays that emerged against Torpoint and Larkhall."

Webb is confident, however, that the dip in form is just a blip and is confident that the team will be ready for the challenge that awaits them on Saturday.

"When you get into the quarter-finals of the vase no game is easy," said Webb. "One of the favourites, FC Manchester United, were beaten by Quorn, and Quorn were beaten by Whitehawk, so we know we are in for a huge game.

"They have half a dozen players who play for the Sussex county side - and Cornwall know all about Sussex - and we know that they are a very intimidating side at home.

"They are a big, physical side that doesn't score too many goals, but neither do they concede.

"If they have come to watch us they will have seen us well below the standard we can play, so that might help us. We don't have any injury worries, but Shane Tolley will be out until April at the earliest with his knee injury."

City will leave for Sussex around lunchtime on Friday and will stay away on both the Friday and Saturday nights before travelling back on Sunday.

"Despite the last two games we are still very much in control of our own destiny and I am certain we will bounce back on Saturday," said Webb. "If we can get over this hurdle at Whitehawk we then play a two-leg semi-final and I would always back us over two legs, but we will know more about that at around 5 o'clock on Saturday."

City will select from: D Stevenson, A Butcher, J Ash, G Power, M Martin, J Routledge, J Broad, S Walker, K Wills, I Gosling, S Yetton, G Hooper, C Reski, A Watkins, R Pope, J Ludlam.

TRURO CITY 2 LARKHALL 1 There was an early warning of what was to come for City as Larkhall just failed to score with a shot from ten yards with Stevenson scrambling across his area.

The deadlock was broken on 16 minutes after a foul by Scott Walker. The free kick by Shaun Wiles-Richards was sent to the far post and Stuart Grey headed in unchallenged.

City enjoyed good periods of play, but the final pass left a lot to be desired. Their best chance fell to Yetton who saw his shot beaten away by the 'keeper.

The second half saw City enjoy the lion's share of possession and creating several half chances before Reski picked up the ball on the flank in the 57th minute and played an early cross to Wills. The midfielder played it into the path of Yetton who made no mistake with his 47th goal of the season.

Gosling nearly scored within a minute of coming on as substitute, but his header was well saved and Ash saw his header just go over the Larkhall bar.

In the 73rd minute the usually dependable Ash was dispossessed and from the cross into the box Wiles-Richards drilled the ball past Stevenson for the winner.

City: Dan Stevenson, Jake Ash, Tom Smith, John Routledge, Chris Reski, Scott Walker, Ross Pope, Joe Broad, Kevin Wills, Stewart Yetton. Subs: Andy Watkins, Johnny Ludlum, Ian Gosling.