FC Halifax Town vs Truro City – Match Report

Enterprise National League

By Tom Howe, The Shay, Saturday

FC Halifax Town 1 – Truro City 0

A Will Harris goal two minutes from time condemned Truro City to a narrow 1-0 defeat at National League play-off chasers FC Halifax Town.

The Tinners looked set to return from a wintry Yorkshire with another crucial point in their battle against relegation from step one, as a potentially season-defining February continues to take shape.

Early errors led to chances at both ends, with Aidan Stone making the first of a string of saves, before Truro teammate Harry Charsley was denied by a vital block. Nineteen-year-old Freddie Issaka went on to impress on his Tinners bow – the fleet-footed forward forcing Sam Johnson into a smart stop, a feat repeated by returning frontman Rekeil Pyke. 

The game opened up further still in the second-half, with Stone and his backline putting in a typically resilient display that was seconds from resulting in a well-deserved point. Disappointment aside, the signs remain that a competitive City side have more than a fighting chance of adding a second campaign to their maiden season in the top tier of non-league football.

The top line when it came to team news was the full debut handed to Issaka, with the Truro-born attacker having joined on loan from SkyBet League 1 side Plymouth Argyle on Friday. The second of two changes was also up top, as Pyke made a first start since mid-November, coming into a Tinners side beaten 2-0 at home by Woking on Tuesday evening.

They lined-up against a Halifax team that held the final National League play-off berth going into Saturday’s round of fixtures but one which were winless in their previous four outings in all competitions – a run which saw them exit both the National League Cup and FA Trophy.

The Tinners came from behind to beat the Shaymen 2-1 back in October, with late goals from Shaun Donnellan and Luke Jephcott completing a dramatic turnaround. Much like that day at The TCS, Truro could well have found themselves going a goal behind, as Stone was forced into a double save after Harry Kite had had his pocket picked.

City almost capitalised on some indecision at the other end in the very next passage of play, with the impressive Charsley letting fly from an acute angle, forcing a block that saw the award of the afternoon’s first corner. Stone was kept busy though as he denied Kieron Morris, Josh Hmami and top Shaymen scorer Harris, who netted when the two sides met in Cornwall earlier in the campaign.

A mixture of miserly defending and Stone’s fine form meant they weren’t able to make their ascendancy count though, and that left them susceptible on the break. Indeed, Stone’s opposite number Johnson needed to be alert to spoil the party for debutant Issaka, who came close to a memorable debut goal just shy of the half hour mark.

Pyke, who hails from half an hour up the road in Leeds, would also dearly have loved to score on his return to Yorkshire, but had his heart broken on Valentine’s Day too by the experienced Shaymen stopper.

Issaka, the youngest member of City’s squad, saw his involvement come to an end ten minutes into the second stanza, with the equally explosive Dominic Johnson-Fisher on in his stead to help impact what was a really open and entertaining encounter. His arrival and performance, as well as that of Pyke’s, who was soon after replaced by Tyler Harvey, offer plenty of promise ahead of the congested weeks and months ahead.

Johnson-Fisher announced himself onto the scene in typical fashion. His quick pass into Lirak Hasani resulted in a low ball into the box that was cut out at the opportune moment. Hasani won a free-kick in the next play that was cut out by the Shaymen, who broke at speed prior to meeting an immovable object wearing number 25 – otherwise known as Donnellan – who made a goalsaving block before making way for Will Dean.

The game stretched out as the doors to the last chance saloon were unlocked, with a series of gilt-edged chances coming and going for both sides. Two went the way of City, either side of Angelo Capello’s miss from close range, as Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross threatened to sneak past Johnson, who reacted well to save his blushes. Johnson-Fisher then took it upon himself to push the Shaymen back but sent his effort wide of the mark.

The turning point – a cruel suckerpunch – came in the 88th minute when AJ Warburton raced down the right and picked out Harris, who made no mistake from inside the box. His goal, coupled with other results, increased City’s deficit to safety to six points.

A break from domestic action beckons in midweek, with Boreham Wood standing between the Tinners and a spot in the National League Cup final. Tuesday’s tie at Meadow Park kicks-off at 7.30 pm.

What follows are three successive fixtures against other sides in the bottom half of the National League, with Gateshead (Saturday, February 21) and Braintree Town (Saturday, February 28) visiting The TCS either side of Truro’s trip to Eastleigh on Wednesday, February 25.

Tinners: Stone, Riley-Lowe (capt), Harrison, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hasani, Jephcott, Issaka (Johnson-Fisher, 55), Pyke (Harvey, 64), Donnellan (Dean, 72), Kite, Charsley; Subs not used: Lavercombe, Bell, Law, Stretton.

Halifax Town: S Johnson (capt), Warburton, Hobson, Adetoro, Latty-Fairweather (Mills, 80), C Johnson, Hugill, Hmami (Jenkins, 80), Bray (Cappello, 63), Morris (Kawa, 73), Harris; Subs not used: Ford, Jenkins, Lavery.

Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis

Attendance: 1,224 (65 away)

📷Luke Jephcott of Truro City stretches for the ball during the Enterprise National League game between FC Halifax Town and Truro City at The Shay Stadium, Halifax on 14 February 2026 - PHOTO: Steve Flynn/PPAUK

Stewart Yetton Post Match Reaction

by Gareth Davies

Assistant boss Stewart Yetton described his Truro City side’s late loss at FC Halifax Town as a ‘sucker punch’.

Travelling to one of the division’s promotion chasers, the Shaymen occupied the final play-off place in the National League before kick-off but City matched the West Yorkshire outfit for long periods.

Harry Charsley and returning striker Rekeil Pyke had Truro’s best moments in the opening 45 minutes while at the other end, tricky winger Owen Bray stung the palms of Aidan Stone.

After the turnaround, Angelo Capello fired over for Halifax and his fellow substitute Dominic Johnson-Fisher did likewise. The game was heading for a stalemate until Will Harris swept home AJ Warburton’s teasing centre to break City hearts. There was one final chance for Truro in the eighth minute of stoppage time, but Tyler Harvey couldn’t find the mark from 12 yards out and Halifax triumphed 1-0.

“The result was very disappointing and it is always a sucker punch to concede so late,” Yetton said at full-time.

“Up until that point, I thought we put in a really good away performance and although they had a few more chances and a bit more possession, we played the perfect away game against a team in the play-offs.

“We are where we are in the table and we felt we were worthy of a draw. Their staff said the same and we were unlucky to concede at the end.

“We need to be better in these moments though as a few times this season late goals have cost us, when we have been in good positions. We will lick our wounds on the way home and be straight back at it.”

City handed a full debut to Plymouth Argyle loanee Freddie Issaka, who joined City from the Pilgrims on Friday until the end of the season.

Despite his lack of action in recent weeks, Yetton feels that there were signs of promise from the Truro born forward in his 55 minutes on the pitch, before being replaced due to cramp. The Tinners’ number two and club record goalscorer also predicted that City fans will see the best of Argyle’s youngest ever senior player, as the season progresses.

“(Issaka) showed some glimpses although he hasn’t played a lot of football or got a lot of minutes,  hence why he cramped up,” Yetton added. “He hasn’t really trained with us either and we’ve thrown him straight in and that isn’t easy.

“Hopefully over the coming weeks, we will get to see more from him.”

📷Freddie Issaka of Truro City makes a break during the Enterprise National League game between FC Halifax Town and Truro City at The Shay Stadium, Halifax on 14 February 2026 - PHOTO: Steve Flynn/PPAUK