Truro City vs York City Match Report

Published On: 18 August 2025Last Updated: 18 August 2025By CornishStuff

Enterprise National League

Gareth Davies, Truro City Stadium, Saturday

Truro City 0 – York City 2

Truro City's National League homecoming ended in defeat after pre-season title favourites York City triumphed in TR4.

But John Askey's charges can be encouraged by their showing against the MInstermen, as the hosts more than matched York during a cat and mouse affair, played out with the sub plot of a very strong wind.

However, just as the game appeared to be heading for a stalemate, which would have been a much better point for Truro than York, the visitors struck in the 83rd and 87th minute to snatch all three points.

Mark Kitching, broadcaster DAZN's player of the match stabbed home the first before substitute Josh Stones finished with aplomb to spoil Truro's celebrations of becoming the first club from the Duchy to host a Step One game on home soil.

📷Dejection for Connor Riley-Lowe, Captain of Truro City after loosing during the National League match between Truro City and York City at Truro City Stadium on 16 August 2025 Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

Boss Askey was forced to make one change from the side that were defeated 2-0 by Wealdstone on the opening day. Tyler Harvey failed a late fitness test on a groin problem and after he was ruled out, the 27-goal hitman from last term was replaced in the starting line-up by Lirak Hasani.

Max Kinsey (head knock) was unavailable under concussion protocols, joining Billy Palfrey, Harry Kite and Tom Harrison on the treatment table. Therefore, both Tylor Love-Holmes and Seidou Sanogo made a National League matchday squad for the first time this term.

Roared on by a crowd in excess of 3,000, it was the Tinners who had a sight of goal inside the opening 20 seconds, when striker Dominic Johnson-Fisher was millimetres away from connecting to a through ball.

Visiting custodian Harrison Male was quick off his line to deny the pacy forward and then, for the next 25 minutes, the game was very even.

Goalscoring opportunities were at a premium mainly due to the strong wind but Truro, who faced it head on in the opening 45, then came to the fore.

Just after the half hour mark, Johnson-Fisher's skill took him past Callum Howe and bearing down on goal, dragged his effort wide of the target.

Skipper Connor Riley-Lowe also failed to hit the target before a Yassine En-Neyah header, when free in the box, also failed to test Male.

After the turnaround, the tight, cagey nature to proceedings continued but York had their best opportunity just seven minutes after the turnaround when Alex Newby shot straight at home stopper Dan Lavercombe, after great work from Kitching.

Then more huff and puff from both sides with Howe almost heading a Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain throw into his own net.

As time ticked down, York seemed to find another gear and after Lavercombe denied Ollie Pearce, the deadlock was broken by Kitching, who tapped home after Malachi Fagan-Walcott's left footed strike was split.

The points were heading back to North Yorkshire three minutes from time when Truro lost the ball in midfield and a neat move between substitute Joe Grey and Pearce resulted in Stones sweeping home.

Truro City: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dean, Law, Bell, (Love-Holmes, 89), En-Neyah (Taylor, 78), Hasani (Pyke, 84), Riley-Lowe, Johnson-Fisher (Starkie, 78), Jephcott. Subs not used: Sanders, Sanogo, Stone.

York City: Male, Felix, Fagan-Walcott, Howe, Kitching, Boateng, Banks, Newby (Stones, 74), Hunt (Grey, 62), Sinclair (Nathaniel-George, 74), Pearce. Subs not used: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Palmer, Brookes.

Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis

Attendance: 3.065

📷Dan Rooney of Truro City out paces Alex Newby of York City during the National League match between Truro City and York City at Truro City Stadium on 16 August 2025 Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

John Askey Match Reaction

Boss John Askey said he was 'bitterly disappointed' after his Truro City side went down 2-0 to York City.

In a history-making first ever National League game to be played here in the Duchy, broadcast live on DAZN too, Truro more than matched the pre-season promotion favourites.

And going into the final 10 minutes, it looked like the spoils would be shared and deservedly so, as the hosts had good goalscoring opportunities, whilst remaining resolute at the back, up against the league's golden boot winner from last year Ollie Pearce.

However, Mark Kitching broke the deadlock when he tapped home after 83 minutes and shortly after, substitute Josh Stones doubled the lead for last year's beaten play-off semi finalists.

"I'm bitterly disappointed," Truro boss John Askey, managing against one of his former clubs, said. "The conditions here weren't conducive to play free flowing football and it was difficult for both teams.

"I went in at half-time and said to the lads that just because we had a gale-force wind behind us, it didn't mean it would be easier.

"Looking for positives, though, for the majority of the game we have more than matched York, but the first goal has killed us.

"It is poor from our point of view and then to compound matters, their second goal comes from when we should be putting the ball into the box. Instead we end up playing backwards so overall, errors and poor decisions have cost us.

"On another day, I know things could have been different and we know we have to do better. When the ball is in wide areas we have to stop crosses and when we have the ball in wide areas, we need to put more crosses into the box, meaning we have plenty to work on.

"But this game has gone now and we will just move on to the next one, by rolling our sleeves up and working hard."