Opposition Lowdown by JACK FOULGER
Following Tuesday’s underwhelming 2-0 FA Cup defeat at home to Cray Wanderers, the Stones find themselves eliminated at the first hurdle for the second consecutive season. This weekend, Craig Fagan’s side play host at ME14 once again as they welcome Cornish side Truro City in a return to league action.
HISTORY
Since forming back in 1889, the cathedral city side have spent much of their history establishing themselves as Cornwall’s premier football club. Up until the millennium, Truro spent much of their existence skirting around the South Western non-league circuit, having participated in numerous divisions across the region. Notable achievements in this era include 16 regional league titles, 14 Cornwall Senior Cups and another eight local league cups.
Following new investment in 2004, the Tinners’ on-field progress quickly accelerated, with the subsequent seven years seeing them win the FA Vase at Wembley alongside numerous promotions that saw them shoot through the Western and Southern Leagues, eventually reaching the NL South by 2011.
From then on, Truro would go on to experience a noticeably turbulent timeline with a mixture of financial difficulties, stadium issues and changing on-field fortunes seeing them homeless as a Step 3 club by the 2021/22 season. Fortunately, a dramatic 3-2 play-off victory over Bracknell Town in 2023 would see them return to Step 2, shortly before a takeover by a North American consortium, which provided much needed funds to support a return to the Cornish capital.
The full effects of their new ownership showed just a year later as the construction of the Truro City Stadium saw the Tinners finally return home in the same season that they made history by finishing the National League South season as champions. This subsequently saw them play in the fifth tier for the first time in their existence, in-turn breaking the record for the longest distance travelled to an English away game, as last October’s match against Gateshead saw the Tinners rack up a 914-mile round trip.
Unfortunately, their time in the National League was brief as relegation at the end of the 2025-26 season ensued with Truro sat at the foot of the table, 12 points adrift of safety.
THE SQUAD
With thirteen players still on the books from their 2024-25 NLS title win, the Tinners boast arguably one of the most loyal squads in this season’s division. At the forefront of their promotion was club legend Tyler Harvey, who remains at TR4 for his 11th season. The 31-year-old first joined the Cornish side back in January 2017 and has since contributed in excess of 250 appearances and 150 goals, netting 27 times in that historic campaign, which also saw him claim the NLS Golden Boot.
Defender and captain Connor Riley-Lowe also continues his long-term affiliation with the club, having featured over 300 times for the Tinners through various promotions and relegations. Since initially joining as a loanee back in the 2015-16 season, Truro’s skipper has also gone on to win his side’s Player of the Year award on four separate occasions between 2018 and 2023.
Making his Tinners debut this season is former Cardiff City and Newport County forward Omar Bogle, who makes the move to the South West following a stellar career that has seen him rack up over 275 Football League appearances that brought 72 goals. Bogle was notably part of the Bluebirds side that won promotion from the Championship in the 2017-18 campaign as Neil Warnock’s side returned to the top flight after four seasons away.
THE GAFFER
Two seasons after overseeing his side’s first ever promotion to the fifth tier, manager John Askey is once again tasked with helping the Tinners break into non-league’s premier division. The 61-year-old is currently one of just two managers to ever win promotion from all three National League divisions following his Step 1 title win with Macclesfield Town in 2017-18 and a NL North play-off triumph with York City in the 2021-22 season preceding his recent success in Cornwall.
Other managerial reigns have also seen Askey enjoy short stints within the lower reaches of the Football League, having spent time at Shrewsbury Town, Port Vale and Hartlepool United in between his non-league achievements.
Prior to coaching, the Tinners’ boss enjoyed a 21-year playing career, which included 19 years in Cheshire that saw him become Macclesfield Town’s record appearance holder after featuring 679 times between 1984 and 2003. That period would see forward Askey play a key role in the Silkmen’s rise from the Northern Premier League to the old Third Division (equivalent of League 2 at the time), chipping in with 155 goals during his time at Moss Lane.
FORM
Currently sat seventh in the league table, Truro come into Saturday’s clash five points behind the Stones having played one game less than every team above them. Recent form in the NL South has arguably been frustrating, with two defeats in their previous three matches leaving them unable to overtake Maidstone with a victory this weekend.
Following their narrow 1-0 defeat to Salisbury, the Tinners also took a break from league action as they travelled to South Wales to face Merthyr Town in the FA Cup. An initial 1-1 draw was eventually brought back across the Severn Bridge, before goals from Will Dean and Ben Starkie ensured a 2-0 replay victory at the Truro City Stadium.
Alex Flisher going the extra mile in the play-off first leg at Truro in 2016. Picture by Steve Terrell.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
First meeting back in 2015 following Maidstone’s promotion to the NL South, Truro have played out eight matches with the Stones, losing six of them and winning just twice. Four of those defeats would take place in the 2015/16 season, as a regular season double for Maidstone was backed up by a further two victories in the play-offs, where goals from Alex Flisher and Joe Healy saw Jay Saunders’ side rise to a 3-0 aggregate win and subsequently set up a Promotion Final tie with Ebbsfleet United.
The Tinners would eventually win the fixture for the first time in April 2024 having just played three games in four days in the week leading up to the game. 198 would watch on as then-exiled Truro won 3-1 at Gloucester’s New Meadow Park courtesy of goals from Tyler Harvey and David Sullivan.
Most recently, the Stones made the trip down to Cornwall in December 2024, as a memorable afternoon finished with Maidstone running out as 2-0 winners, with goals from loanees Antony Papadopoulos and Matt Rush defeating the league leaders to return to Kent with all three points.
Antony Papadopoulos finds the top corner at Truro in 2024/25. Picture by Steve Terrell.
THE STADIUM
Ever since 2024, the Tinners have played their home matches at Threemilestone’s Truro City Stadium after spending six years exiled away from Cornwall in the wake of their exit from Treyew Road. The £4.4 million complex started construction 13 months before opening and currently features numerous covered stands across three sides of the ground, including seated provisions for 764 spectators at its Northern end.
Another popular landmark of note is the TCS’ Fanzone located at the south-west corner of the site. Situated inside a marquee, supporters have access to a variety of local food and drink options as well as two 65-inch TVs typically broadcasting other live sporting events pre-match.
