Truro City vs Tamworth – Match Report

Enterprise National League

By Tom Howe, Truro City Stadium, Saturday

Truro City 0 – Tamworth 0

Ten man Truro City extended their unbeaten run to three matches after being held to a goalless draw at home to Tamworth.

The Tinners enjoyed the best of the early exchanges, with Tyler Harvey unlucky not to have helped himself to a couple of early goals, while Dominic Johnson-Fisher saw a fierce strike blocked.

The Lambs recovered from an early reshuffle, due to an injury suffered by Oliver Lynch, to carve out a series of opportunities that were well fielded by City’s in-form goalkeeper Aidan Stone.

It was with the game in the balance and with both sides eager to break the deadlock that the tone changed eight minutes from time, when Will Dean was shown a straight red card for an elbow, leaving a depleted City to hold their own and secure a precious point in the battle against relegation from the National League.

Manager John Askey made just the one change to the valiant Tinners that drew 1-1 at promotion hunting Forest Green Rovers last time out, with one of three new signings, Harry Charsley, handed a full debut in place of Cole Deeming, whose impressive loan spell from West Bromwich Albion is at an end. Fellow fresh faces Jack Stretton and George Cooper took up places on the City bench.

Six points separated the bottom six sides going into this tie, with the Tinners having collected seven points from a possible 15, including back-to-back home wins (Yeovil Town 1-0, Wealdstone 2-0) which saw them sit four points from safety. Midtable Tamworth, meanwhile, ended a run of two consecutive defeats when beating basement dwelling Gateshead last time out, and enjoyed a shootout triumph over high-flying Rochdale to progress in the FA Trophy in midweek.

The Tinners, who down to a frozen Southend United hadn’t played since their outing at The New Lawn on December 30th, were immediately on the front foot and could have found themselves ahead inside three minutes.

Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain raced down the right hand side and delivered a cross into the corridor of uncertainty, one which Harvey was inches from connecting with. Harvey could in fact have had a brace inside five minutes, with a header from Charsley’s corner deflected on its way to goal and another nodded effort sent straight down the throat of visiting custodian Jas Singh.

Back came Tamworth who found Stone and Shaun Donnellan in imperious form, the latter clearing a corner with a powerful header before the former came off his line to confidently claim a free-kick. He got City on the move swiftly with a ball over the top for Johnson-Fisher to run on to. The pacey forward threatened to burst into the box before being crowded out. Undeterred, his perseverance resulted in a corner.

The visiting side’s worries were exacerbated by a game-ending injury to Lynch, who limped off to be repalced by Jordan Ponticelli with 25 on the clock. Thereafter, further half-chances came and went for a City side looking to build on their upward momentum, with one seeing an Oxlade-Chamberlain cross cut out by Alfie Bates. It was Tamworth who ended the half the strongest however, with the Tinners forced into some defensive action.

A neat piece of footwork saw Donnellan out of trouble before Dean watched a hoofed clearance all the way, ahead of performing a perfect slide tackle on the edge of his own box to prevent Ben Acquaye from getting a shot away. The chance of the half soon followed though, with Stone needing cat-like reactions to keep out Ponticilli’s header with a strong one-handed save almost on his own goalline.

City’s intended start to the second half was stunted when Yassine En-Neyah sustained a knock that meant he could play no further part. Truro’s number seven was replaced in the engine room by Billy Palfrey, who formed part of a staunch rearguard action that was forced into more work, as the Lambs continued their quest for an opening goal.

Stone was called upon on multiple occasions, plucking a trademark Tom Tonks throw out of the air before making two more reaction saves to prevent Tamworth making hay from a swift counterattack after Donnellan had misplaced a back pass.

City were by no means out of the picture however and gave a bit back when captain Connor Riley-Lowe played a neat one-two with Johnson-Fisher prior to planting an inch-perfect ball on to the head of Harvey, who diverted his header narrowly wide of the mark.

The pendulum swung this way and that as both sides went in search of a late winner but the momentum changed once Dean was given his marching orders with seven minutes to play. Again, Stone was the busier of the two custodians with a third consecutive clean sheet protected in the dying embers thanks to a diving save to keep out Brandon Forbes’ inventive set-piece.

After some time away the fixtures come thick and fast with Brackley Town the next guests at The TCS on Tuesday (January, 20), before a visit to Rochdale next Saturday (24) and a National League Cup knockout clash at home to Braintree Town (Tuesday, January 27).

Match Facts

Tinners: Stone, Riley-Lowe, Dean, Harrison, En-Neyah (Palfrey, 49), Harvey, Johnson-Fisher, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hasani, Donnellan, Charlsey; Subs Not Used: Lavercombe, Jephcott, Law, Kinsey, Stretton, Cooper

Tamworth: Singh, Curley, Tonks (Roberts, 79), Digie, Bates, Fairlamb, Mols, Cullinane-Liburd, Acquaye (Forbes, 45), Lynch (Ponticilli, 25), Kurtaran; Subs Not Used: Rachel, Rye, Donkor, Lissimore

Referee: Elliott Swallow

Attendance: 2,292 (122 away)

📷Truro City assistant manager Stewart Yetton at the final whistle of the National League match between Truro City and Tamworth at Truro City Stadium on 17 January 2026. - PHOTO: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK

Stewart Yetton Post Match Reaction

by Gareth Davies

Assistant boss Stewart Yetton felt his Truro City side’s 0-0 draw with Tamworth ‘was a fair result’.

It extends the Tinners’ unbeaten run to three matches here in the Duchy, while Aidan Stone completed a consecutive hat-trick of clean sheets for Yetton’s charges.

In a match short on significant attacking moments for either side, Tyler Harvey had City’s best opportunities while at the other end, Jordan Ponticilli’s header was tipped onto the crossbar by Stone.

City were also forced to cling on in the final 10 minutes as they were reduced to 10-men when Will Dean was sent off for clashing with Tamworth’s Spanish midfielder Stefan Mols.

“Before the game, we felt it was a good opportunity to pick up points, but the way the game panned out a point was a fair result – especially with the red card,” Yetton said at full-time. “Potentially it could be viewed as an opportunity missed, but fair for both sides overall.

“Looking for positives we have kept another clean sheet and as the gaffer said at the end, it is something to build on and you are always in the game if you keep clean sheets.”

Dean’s red card, the first shown to a home player since the Truro City Stadium opened in August 2024 was the correct decision according to Yetton.

The former Exeter City midfielder grappled with Mols in the six-yard box and appeared to catch him with an elbow. Although Mols made the most of minimal contact, referee Elliott Swallow reached for his top pocket and sent Dean for an early bath, with eight minutes of normal time remaining.

“It was a red card and we will deal with that,” Yetton added. “It is not acceptable and put us under pressure in the last 10 minutes, but the boys did magnificently to see things out at the end.”

📷Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain of Truro City on the ballduring the National League match between Truro City and Tamworth at Truro City Stadium on 17 January 2026. - PHOTO: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK