Truro City vs Sutton United – Match Report

Enterprise National League

By Tom Howe, Truro City Stadium, Saturday

Truro City 2 – Sutton United 3

A Lirak Hasani brace was in vain as a late Kai Jennings winner saw Sutton United leave Truro City with a narrow 3-2 victory under their belts, writes Tom Howe.

The visitors looked virtually home and hosed in the early stages of the second half, with goals from Jayden Harris and Jennings giving them a healthy advantage over a City side stricken by the loss of Dom Johnson-Fisher to what appears a serious injury.

Never ones to throw in the towel, the Tinners responded in style as Hasani grabbed the game by the scruff and hauled his side level with two opportunist strikes – each assisted by Connor Riley-Lowe.

With the bit between their teeth, fate was to deliver a cruel blow City’s way as, virtually straight from kick off, Jennings added a second of his own to send the three points home with Sutton.

Seven days on from the disappointment of a 2-0 reverse at Braintree Town, John Askey’s charges returned to the Truro City Stadium looking to end a run of three consecutive losses.

His starting eleven showed five changes, with Tyler Harvey returning from the off alongside Cole Deeming, who made his full debut just days after joining on loan from Championship club West Bromwich Albion. Zac Bell was back in too, as were Hasani and Johnson-Fisher – Ryan Law, Max Kinsey, Yassine En-Neyah, Luke Jephcott and Rekeil Pyke those to miss out.

📷Dominic Johnson-Fisher of Truro City goes down injured and gets treatment, but is stretchered off during the National League match between Truro City and Sutton United at Truro City Stadium on 22 December 2025 Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

Chances came and went for a City side with the upper hand in the first half but there was little to seriously test visiting custodian Tommy Reid either side of a stinging shot from Will Dean which was tipped past the post and a Harvey sighter that went wide.

Sutton’s best opportunity had fallen to David Ogbonna, who burst forward and shot into the side netting. But in the dying embers of the opening stanza and amidst a rather sombre atmosphere they forged ahead. With Johnson-Fisher laying motionless on the turf, Harris went on to beat Lavercombe to break the deadlock.

Johnson-Fisher received treatment on a serious looking injury to his right leg from both sets of medical teams, before being stretched off to applause from all four corners of the ground.

Further pain was inflicted just moments into the second half as Jennings unleashed an unstoppable shot that got the better of Lavercombe and made City’s task that bit more challenging.

📷John Askey, Manager of Truro City stands with Chris Agutter, Manager of Sutton United in the background during the National League match between Truro City and Sutton United at Truro City Stadium on 22 December 2025 Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

The Tinners showed immense spirit and rallied well as Hasani headed home Riley-Lowe’s cross to pull one back three minutes after the hour. Lavercombe needed to be on his toes at the other end and a set of fine saves helped provide the catalyst for Truro’s leveller.

As the old saying goes, if you don’t buy a ticket, you won’t win a prize and so it seemed as Reid found Hasani’s shot from 20 yards too hot to handle, the Kosovan midfielder rewarded for trying his luck as the ball squirmed over the line with the clock showing 81.

Back on level terms, with a vociferous home crowd behind them, it seemed almost fate that City would go on and claim a famous win to reignite their National League campaign. Sutton had other ideas though, and Jennings provided the telling touch to turn home what proved to be the winner.

Tinners: Lavercombe, Bell, Riley-Lowe, Dean, Rooney (Janneh, 90), Harvey, Johnson-Fisher (Jephcott, 45), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hasani, Donnellan, Deeming (En-Neyah, 73). Subs not used: Stone, Taylor, Law, Kinsey.

Sutton United: Reid, Simper, Pruti, Taylor, Ogbonna, Harris, Taylor, Ecclestone, Jannings, Foyo (Njoku, 61), Muller (Tizzard, 86). Subs not used: Sims, Vaz, Jones, Crichlow, Bell.

Referee: Peter Wright

Attendance: 2,089 (94 away fans)

📷Goal celebrations for Lirak Hasani of Truro City during the National League match between Truro City and Sutton United at Truro City Stadium on 22 December 2025 Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

John Askey Post Match Reaction

by Gareth Davies

Boss John Askey says his Truro City side’s 3-2 defeat at home to Sutton United was ‘gutting’.
Defeat, the Tinners’ fourth on the spin after recovering from a sluggish start to their maiden National League campaign, leaves the Cornish outfit well adrift at the foot of the table.
And the afternoon was made worse for the Step One rookies when they lost livewire striker Dom Johnson-Fisher to what appeared to be a serious looking knee injury.
The former Whitehawk flyer was injured in the build-up to Jayden Harris’ opener and Kai Jennings doubled Sutton’s tally just after the restart.
City, thanks to Lirak Hasani’s brace, hit back to level as time ticked down.
But Sutton, shortly after surrendering the lead, grabbed it again after Jennings’ second as Chris Agutter’s charges clung on for a first triumph on the road in 2025/26.
“The attitude of the players and the commitment of the players was something you could not fault,” Askey said at full-time. “The result is gutting for everybody and apart from the mistakes we made it was a good performance.
“We can’t keep making mistakes and that has cost us again today. In the first half they did very little and we put them under pressure against a bit of a wind, but going in 1-0 down at half-time changed the game.
“In the second half they got a goal early on and you were thinking it was it. The lads have done well to get themselves back in the game and it looks like it would be us that wins.
“But again, two or three mistakes have cost us what proved to be the winning goal.”
Asked specifically about the injury to Johnson-Fisher, City chief Askey said it ‘was too early’ to give an update on his condition with more information expected in the coming days, after the club released a statement on Saturday evening.
“Dominic Johnson-Fisher was injured during today’s game against Sutton United,” it read.
“After treatment by club, stadium and visiting medical staff, Dom was transferred to the Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske) by ambulance.
“He is now undergoing further medical examination and the club will provide an update on this in due course.”

📷Dominic Johnson-Fisher of Truro City battles for the ball with Jack Taylor of Sutton United during the National League match between Truro City and Sutton United at Truro City Stadium on 22 December 2025 Photo: Phil Mingo/PPAUK