Truro City vs St Albans City: Match Report

Vanarama National League South                            

By Gareth Davies, Truro City Stadium, Saturday

Truro City 5 – St Albans City 2

Truro City were crowned National League South champions after a dramatic final day of the season.

The Tinners thrashed St Albans City, condemning the Saints to Step Three next term, whilst Truro will play in the fifth tier, becoming the first Cornish club to do so.

City, who headed the six-way race for the league championship going into the final day, shot out the traps and were 3-0 up inside the first 10 minutes, against a St Albans side who knew victory was the minimum they needed to stay up.

But the contest was over almost as soon as it had begun, when Luke Jephcott, Dominic Johnson-Fisher and Tyler Harvey scored early for John Askey’s charges.

Harrison Smith kept the Saints in check but captain Connor Riley-Lowe restored City’s three-goal cushion almost immediately.

Then, in the second stanza, with Torquay winning handsomely at Hemel Hempstead Town, Ken Charles sent home nerves racing with St Albans’ second of the afternoon.

But once again, Truro responded in quick fashion as substitute Andrew Neal grabbed his customary goal against the Saints.

City fans raced onto the pitch at full-time, but with Torquay’s game not finishing until some time later due to a medical emergency before kick-off at Vauxhall Road, celebrations were paused.

However, news of the final whistle in Hertfordshire was greeted with joyous scenes at the Truro City Stadium, as the pre-season relegation favourites had defied all the odds to win the league title.

Home chief Askey was forced to make a change to his starting line-up for the first time in nine matches with Johnson-Fisher replacing Jaze Kabia. The Irishman, with 16 goals to his name so far this season, failed to shake off a knee problem picked up in the Easter Monday triumph over Weston-super-Mare.

In front of a carnival atmosphere, Jephcott got the ball rolling for City with a fine low finish from Riley-Lowe’s ball into the corridor of uncertainty. A similar goal, this time from the other side of the pitch, saw leading home scorer Harvey turn provider for Johnson-Fisher, to double City’s advantage.

And the hosts were in dreamland when Harvey profited on a defensive error from the Saints to register City’s third.

Smith bundled the ball in from a corner to open St Albans’ account in front of a record crowd at the Truro City Stadium.

Any hope of a visiting comeback was short lived as Riley-Lowe headed home a Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain long throw to leave City 4-1 ahead at the break.

The second half was less dramatic, but the tension cranked up when substitute Banton forced the ball over the line from a hotly disputed free-kick award 11 minutes from time.

Harvey had a goal ruled out for offside before Yassine En-Neyah struck the woodwork as the hosts searched for more, knowing that Torquay were doing similar at Hemel.

However, City nerves were calmed by substitute Neal, who finished coolly past visiting custodian Michael Johnson.

With one eye on events at Hemel, City saw the game out comfortably and with no further goals in Hertfordshire, Truro prevailed as league champions.

City: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dean, Law, Bell, En-Neyah, Rooney, Riley-Lowe, Jephcott), Johnson-Fisher (Neal, 77), Harvey, Sub not used: Sanders, Love-Holmes, Palfrey, Adelsbury.

St Albans City: Johnson, Mason, James (Coyne, 64), Long-King, Banton, Rasulo, Banton, Bendle (Wyatt, 72), Sweet (Wall, 45), Charles (Castiglione, 72), Smith (Jeffers 64).

Referee: Charles Martland

Attendance: 3,597

John Askey’s Match Reaction

Boss John Askey says that Cornwall ‘has something to be proud of’ after Truro City became the first team from the Duchy to win promotion to English football’s fifth tier.

The Tinners defeated St Albans City 5-2 in a carnival atmosphere at the Truro City Stadium, due in no small part to a whirlwind start to proceedings.

Luke Jephcott, Dominic Johnson-Fisher and Tyler Harvey netted inside the opening 10 minutes for Askey’s charges.

Nearest rivals Torquay United were doing their bit by defeating Hemel Hempstead Town 2-0 and despite Harrison Smith pulling a goal back for St Albans, Connor Riley-Lowe restored Truro’s three-goal cushion before the interval.

After the turnaround, Torquay scored a third before Hemel cut the arrears. Nerves started to jangle at the TCS when substitute Shaun Jeffers scored again for St Albans to make the score 4-2, coupled with a fourth Torquay goal, ironically scored by former City favourite Cody Cooke.

And despite Hemel being reduced to 10 men after George Williams was sent off, Rocky Neal bagged a fifth City goal, handing Truro the title on goal difference.

“We’ve made history and it is a great feeling,” Askey said at full-time. “I’m so pleased for everyone at the football club and all of Cornwall, because they have something to be proud of.

“For us to come out and score three goals in 10 minutes, I’ve never seen that before – especially when one team is trying to stay up and the other promoted.

“We scored three good goals, but you always had one eye on what Torquay were doing. This was as well as we played all season and after coming back to Truro this season, you couldn’t write it and it’s amazing.

“The main thing for us was to get safe and then look for more. We achieved that by January and then we kicked on. We have been on a great run, with a little bit of luck thrown in as well.

“Ultimately it is down to the hard work of the players and I am really, really pleased for them.”