Truro City Vs Falmouth – Match Report

Published On: 21 July 2025Last Updated: 21 July 2025By CornishStuff

Pre-Season Friendly – Aubrey Wilkes Trophy

By Gareth Davies, Truro City Stadium, Saturday

Truro City 2 – Falmouth Town 0

Truro City retained the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy with victory over a spirited Falmouth Town outfit.

The margin of victory could have been far greater had City converted a glut of second half chances, with visiting custodian Morgan Coxhead making a number of fine saves.

The deadlock remained unbroken during a first half of few clear cut opportunities, with City opening the scoring just after the hour mark through defender Sam Sanders.

Falmouth had a glorious chance to equalise shortly after when Martyn Duff fired over from the edge of the box, but City ensured local bragging rights remained in TR4, as Dominic Johnson-Fisher doubled the Tinners’ advantage eight minutes from time.

📷Goal celebrations for Sam Sanders of Truro City during the Pre Season Friendly Match between Truro City and Falmouth Town at Truro City Stadium, Truro on 19 July 2025 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)

City boss John Askey made a number of changes from the side which started the narrow friendly reverse at home to Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday.

There were first starts of this pre-season for Max Kinsey and Yassine En-Neyah, while Tyler Harvey returned after missing the mid-week clash against one of his former clubs.

In front of a four-figure gate, the biggest to watch an Aubrey Wilkes Trophy match for many years, Truro dominated the ball in the early exchanges as expected, but the Tinners found Town a tough nut to crack.

The home side did have the ball in the net after 12 minutes when Harvey crossed for skipper Connor Riley-Lowe, who diverted home, but the flag of assistant Nigel D’Arcy was raised, thus denying the City skipper his second goal of pre-season.

Truro had further openings as the half wore on with Johnson-Fisher firing over when well placed, while Kinsey and Will Dean both had headed opportunities.

Into the second stanza and City started positively with Coxhead taking the ball off Johnson-Fisher’s toes before a rebound from a Dean shot fell to Oxlade-Chamberlain who shot over.

Riley-Lowe was the next to bring Coxhead – who was a Truro player joining Falmouth – into action before City finally had a goal they deserved after 62 minutes.

A corner was only half cleared and with Coxhead stranded, Sanders hooked into an unguarded net.

📷The teams pose with the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy during the Pre Season Friendly Match between Truro City and Falmouth Town at Truro City Stadium, Truro on 19 July 2025 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)

But almost straight from the restart, Falmouth made a rare foray forward and the ball fell to Duff, back at Bickland Park for his second spell, who blazed over.

After that scare, City reasserted control again as Sanders was denied a second when his header was clawed away by a now overworked Coxhead while the visiting incumbent also denied A Trialist.

The second and match clinching goal arrived eight minutes from time when Tylor Love-Holmes fed Johnson-Fisher and with Coxhead advancing, the former Whitehawk forward lifted the ball over Falmouth’s stopper and into the net.

Johnson-Fisher had further sights of goal as time ticked down while A Trialist also had a good shooting opportunity that didn’t test Coxhead.

The final word nearly went to Falmouth when substitute Luke Brabyn broke free and fired straight at Lavercombe, but the home side’s clean sheet remained in place and the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy will stay at the Truro City Stadium for another 12 months.

Truro City: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Adelsbury, 85), Kinsey, Sanders, Love-Holmes, Dean (Sanogo, 84), En-Neyah (A Trialist, 64), Hasani (Palfrey, 64), Riley-Lowe (Law, 76), Johnson-Fisher, Harvey (Jephcott, 64). Sub not used: Burstow.

Falmouth: Coxhead, Symons, Leivers, Jewell, Annear, Walter, Duff, Webber, Wilson, Hutchinson, Sims. Subs: Everall, Evans, Thomas, Brabyn, Barner.

Referee: Steven Swan

Attendance: 1,005

📷Dominic Johnson-Fisher of Truro City battles for the ball with Tom Annear of Falmouth Town during the Pre Season Friendly Match between Truro City and Falmouth Town at Truro City Stadium, Truro on 19 July 2025 (Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)

John Askey’s Match Reaction

Boss John Askey was ‘frustrated’ with his Truro City side, despite a 2-0 win over local rivals Falmouth Town.

City’s retention of the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy on home soil came thanks to second half goals from Sam Sanders and Dominic Johnson-Fisher.

But City were far from their best against Town, who restricted the hosts to scarce opportunities during a first half of few chances.

After the turnaround, Truro did improve, but a fine performance from visiting custodian Morgan Coxhead, along with a host of missed chances, meant the winning margin was just two goals.

“It was frustrating because in the Plymouth Argyle game we did really well,”Askey told trurocity.co.uk. “But that happens in football, when sometimes it can be a case of after the Lord Mayor’s Show, as this game showed up one or two things we need to work on.

“With that in mind, this game might do us good – and perhaps more good than the Plymouth Argyle game did.

“I have addressed things after the game so hopefully we can move on and keep improving. Pre-season is pre-season and sometimes games like this one can be frustrating.

“The only thing that matters is how we start the season so you can’t get carried away if you are scoring four or five, nor if you are losing.”

Looking for positives, though, Askey revealed that his squad came through this derby test unscathed, with Zac Bell, Dan Rooney and Harry Kite all left out as a precaution, after suffering niggles in previous pre-season clashes.

“We had two or three lads missing, more as a precaution than anything else,” Askey added. “We came through this match unscathed and whilst we can’t take an awful lot from it, the fact that there were no injuries is one positive.

“Our priority is getting everyone fit and ready for the start of the season.”