Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Truro City.

The Opposition

Regardless of their fate, Truro City will be remembered for making history, having become the first Cornish side to ever compete in the fifth tier of English football.

The Tinners won promotion as National League South champions last term, but they have since endured a difficult maiden campaign at Step One, currently sitting bottom of the division and 11 points from safety.

Despite this, they will be aiming to put up a fight for the remainder of the campaign, having failed to win since a 2-1 triumph over Morecambe in February, and have since suffered a number of narrow losses which has seen them fall further into the abyss, especially given Morecambe and Gateshead have both begun to hit form.

John Askey became a Truro hero when he guided the club to the National League for the first time, and will be hoping to utilise his experience to maintain a fighting chance heading into the final eight games of the campaign, having previously won the National League with Macclesfield, as well as guiding York City to the National League North play-offs.

The former striker will also rely upon the consistency of his squad, with eight players all featuring at least 30 times this term as he has largely found a settled side, despite their struggles.

Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain tops the appearance chart with 44, closely followed by Will Dean (40), Dominic Johnson-Fisher (39), Luke Jephcott (38), Ryan Law (35), Lirak Hasani (35), Connor Riley-Lowe (34) and Zac Bell (32), while top scorer Tyler Harvey will be looking to build on his five goals so far and contribute to a last gasp bid for survival, having stole the headlines last term by topping the National League South’s goalscoring ranks with 28 strikes.

The Manager

John Askey

Former Macclesfield Town forward John Askey wrote his name into Truro City folklore, guiding the Tinners to the National League South title last term.

Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Askey rose through the ranks at Port Vale as a player, before a brief stint in amateur football with Milton United preceded a move to Macclesfield, where he went on to spend his entire career. He racked up more than 600 appearances for the Silkmen – their record appearance holder – as well as being the fourth highest goalscorer with 155 goals.

A pacey, skilful and intelligent winger, Askey won a host of honours throughout his career, winning the Conference twice, Northern Premier League once, Northern Premier League Challenge Cup once, Northern Premier League President’s Cup once, Chesire Senior Cup four times, Bob Lord Challenge Trophy once and the Staffordshire Senior Cup twice, as well as winning promotion out of the Third Division in 1997/99. To add to this, he was twice named as the club’s Player of the Year in 1988/89 and 1999/00, before hanging up his boots in 2003.

He immediately made the move into management though, remaining at Macclesfield for a further 15 years, cementing his place as a club legend with both his playing career and what would prove to be an incredibly successful period as a coach too. Starting out as a reserve-team manager, he led the reserves to the Football Combination Division Two title and later worked as assistant to David Moss, before taking over as caretaker manager, winning three of his first seven matches to be rewarded with the permanent job, a role he returned to in 2013 after an extended spell with the club’s youth team.

The former England C team international went on to lead the Silkmen into the National League title in 2017/18, ending a six-year absence from the EFL, and adding to the boss’ long list of honours at Moss Road alongside the Chesire Senior Cup in 2014/15), as well as a runner-up medal in the FA Trophy in 2016/17.

Askey was subsequently awarded the freedom of Macclesfield in 2018 for his accomplishments in the city across more than three decades, but financial difficulties within the club brought an end to his 34-year association with the club in 2018 despite guiding them to that aforementioned promotion.

Spells in the Football League followed for Askey with spells at Shrewsbury Town and Port Vale, before guiding York City to promotion out of the National League North in 2021/22, while his controversial dismissal from the Minstermen midway through the following season preceded a brief spell at Hartlepool United, a club with which he struggled to recreate his previous feats.

However, Askey restored his superb reputation within non-league after opting to move down south, with a move to Truro leading to him guiding the club from the expectation of being relegation battlers to league winners, an achievement which saw him named as the National League South Manager of the Season.

One to Watch

Lirak Hasani

Lirak Hasani has been a key figure in Truro’s midfield this term, making 38 appearances in all competitions since departing National League South side Torquay United.

Born to Kosovan parents in South Yorkshire, Hasani came through the ranks at Doncaster Rovers, making his first team debut as a teenager in March 2019, before enjoying loan spells at Gateshead, Matlock Town and Bashford United.

He later joined the Tynesiders on a permanent deal in 2022, spending two years in the North East, though his time with the Heed primarily included further loan spells, this time to Boston United, South Shields and Blyth Spartans.

Hasani departed Gateshead to move south with Torquay United, where he played a lead hand in the Gulls’ promotion bid, which saw the Devonians miss out on the league title by goal difference to City, before losing in the play-offs to eventual winners Boreham Wood.

Despite this though, the 23-year old found himself returning to the fifth tier with a switch to Truro, which, due to his age, saw the Tinners pau a compensation fee to the Step Two Gulls, and he has gone on to become a consistent member of the engine room in Cornwall.

Recent Form

Truro City 1-2 Scunthorpe United

Truro City 0-1 Hartlepool United

Altrincham 2-0 Truro City

Southend United 1-1 Truro City

Truro City 2-3 Braintree Town

Eastleigh 2-1 Truro City

Last Time Out

Truro City fell narrowly short against play‑off‑chasing Scunthorpe United, who edged a tight contest by the odd goal in three, writes Tom Howe.

The Tinners were stunned by two strikes inside six first-half minutes, via Leo Farrell and Alfie Beestin, but reacted well with an effort from Freddie Issaka just before the break.

His second goal for City set up an entertaining second stanza, during which the National League’s bottom side had the best chance, forcing Louis Jones into cat-like reactions to deny Rekeil Pyke.

The Iron held firm however, to leave Truro some 12 points from safety.