Truro City vs Morecambe – Match Report

Enterprise National League

By Tom Howe, Truro City Stadium, Saturday

Truro City 5 – Morecambe 0

Truro City delivered a scintillating performance, dismantling Morecambe by five goals to nil to secure a second win of the National League season.

Captain Connor Riley-Lowe built on his fine form of late, leading from the front when scoring the game’s opening goal midway through the first-half.

An already struggling Morecambe suffered a further setback when Maldini Kacurri was shown two yellows and a subsequent red, given his marching orders  by referee Aaron Bannister shortly before the break.

The Tinners expertly exploited their man advantage in the second period, with Luke Jephcott scoring twice either side of a deserved goal for an ever hard-working Dom Johnson-Fisher.

📷Ashvir Singh Johal, Manager of Morecambe during the National League match between Truro City and Morecambe at Truro City Stadium on 27 September 2025. - PHOTO: Frankie OKeeffe/PPAUK

The cherry on the cake arrived in the dying embers as Aidan Marsh, who only joined City on Friday, capped a cameo appearance with a late fifth.

Manager John Askey made just the one change from Tuesday evening’s frustrating 1-0 reverse at Brackley Town, with Lirak Hasani starting in place of Yassine En-Neyah, who reverted to a place on the bench alongside new teammate Marsh, a striker who counts Barnsley and Raith Rovers among his former sides.

The Tinners asserted themselves from the very first whistle and their pressure was relentless. Johnson-Fisher and Riley-Lowe terrorised the Shrimps’ back line early on, forcing a series of clearances and setting the tone for a memorable afternoon at The TCS.

The breakthrough ultimately arrived on 24 minutes. Dean, masterminding play from the edge of the box, delivered a pinpoint cross that Riley-Lowe met at the far post to nod City ahead. It was no less than the hosts deserved and a breath of a fresh air after the anguish of recent weeks.

Morecambe’s afternoon went from bad to worse when Kacurri earned a second yellow card moments before the break for a reckless challenge on the rampaging Johnson-Fisher. Down to ten men, the visitors had no answer to the quick movement and attacking prowess of a City side growing in confidence.

It took seven minutes of the second stanza for City to make their extra man count, with Riley-Lowe again proving decisive. He skipped into the box and played in Jephcott who finished coolly. Ten minutes later, Johnson-Fisher capped a tireless shift with a poacher’s goal, stabbing home from close range.

📷John Askey, Manager of Truro City during the National League match between Truro City and Morecambe at Truro City Stadium on 27 September 2025. - PHOTO: Frankie OKeeffe/PPAUK

City were purring now. Hasani was inches away from adding a stunning fourth, curling just over the bar. Jephcott had better luck however, making it four with another instinctive finish on 75 minutes, and he was inches away from a hat-trick in stoppage time, rattling the crossbar with a looping effort.

The final word came from debutant Marsh, who swept home in the seventh minute of additional time to cap a five-star showing and send City into another big week of fixtures on a high.

Tinners: Stone, Bell (Kinsey 89), Riley-Lowe, Dean (Oxlade-Chamberlain, 89), Sanders, Rooney (Kite, 80), Johnson-Fisher (Marsh, 80), Hasani, Jephcott, Law, Donnellan (Sanogo, 89). Subs not used: Lavercombe, En-Neyah.

Morecambe: Mair, Payne, Kacurri, Azeez (Thomas, 57), Cain, Muskwe, Aarons (Tollitt, 68), Sangare (Sesay, 45), Songo’o, Dixon-Bonner (Raikhy, 58), Nolan (Sutton, 58). Subs not used: Ashcroft, Panayiotou.

Referee: Aaron Bannister

Attendance: 2,213 (114 away fans)

📷Goal celebrations for Connor Riley-Lowe of Truro City during the National League match between Truro City and Morecambe at Truro City Stadium on 27 September 2025. - PHOTO: Frankie OKeeffe/PPAUK

John Askey Post Match Reaction

by Gareth Davies

Truro City boss John Askey felt the stars aligned for his side as they thrashed sorry Morecambe 5-0 to move off the foot of the National League standings.

The Shrimps’ cause was not helped by Maldini Kacurri’s 42nd minute red card for two yellow cards with his side already a goal behind after home skipper Connor Riley-Lowe opened the scoring.

And after the turnaround, Truro made their superiority and numerical advantage count with a dominant showing which resulted in four further goals.

Luke Jephcott helped himself to a brace while fellow striker Dom Johnson-Fisher notched in the league for the first time this term. The rout was completed when recent free agent signing Aiden Marsh scored on his City bow to put gloss on a very polished home performance.

“Everything went for us today,” Askey said at full-time. “They gave us a helping hand by going to 10-men, but we took advantage of it.

“To beat any team 5-0, whether they are down to 10-men or not is still an achievement, but the first goal was really important.

“At 1-0 up, against their 11 we should have scored more. The red card came just before half-time and we had a chance to look at a few things at the break, with the players responding really well, delivering some great performances.

“The players have given everything every week and because of the way Morecambe play, it gave us more chances. It was good to see Luke and Dom score and one at the end for Aidan too.

“However, the all-important goal was scored by Connor at the start because it took the pressure off us.”

City, who forced Morecambe into a number of turnovers in promising positions during the first half finally made one count after 24 minutes when Riley-Lowe headed home Will Dean’s deep cross.

The lead was nothing more than Truro deserved and approaching the interval, Kacurri pressed the self-destruct button, hauling down Johnson-Fisher when already on a booking.

Referee Aaron Bannister correctly sent the Albanian international for an early bath and the hosts didn’t let up, playing with a man extra.

Morecambe’s disastrous ploy of playing out from the back cost them a second when Jephcott tapped home and further poor defending saw Johnson-Fisher bundle home from close-range.

Jephcott swept home his second and was denied the matchball with time ticking down by the woodwork.

Debutant Marsh ensured it was a day to forget for Shrimps boss Ashvir Singh Johal with a deft flick from a Max Kinsey cross in the dying embers.

Curiously, Singh Johal disputed the decision to send off Kacurri, despite the majority – of both a home and away disposition – inside the Truro City Stadium agreeing with the man in the middle’s judgement.

“We had the red card which I don’t think was the right decision,” said Singh Joval. “Maldini made two fouls in the game and got two yellow cards. They have been helped by decisions and that changed certain aspects of the game.

“We went for it at half-time and conceded almost straight away, so at 2-0 with 10-men, it is going to be very difficult. There are lots of learnings from myself and the team because that performance isn’t excusable.”

📷Goal celebrations for Connor Riley-Lowe of Truro City during the National League match between Truro City and Morecambe at Truro City Stadium on 27 September 2025. - PHOTO: Frankie OKeeffe/PPAUK