Travel arrangements to Frome Sat 16th November

The Frome game has been rearranged for Saturday 16th Nov.  This is very welcome as all "close" games have been previously arranged for Tuesday evening kick-offs.  Thus the close games are not really accessible.  Except for Frome...

This is your chance to sample an away game atmosphere within easy striking distance!

If you want to go, contact Dave Grimshaw on 07889 787062.  Tisa members, travel is capped at £20.  Non Tisa members pay a figure calculated on numbers attending and fuel cost etc.

Why wait?  Call Dave now.

Chesham Utd's pre match notes for this Saturday's game (Chesham official site)

Truro vs Chesham United preview Saturday 9th November KO 15:00

This Saturday the 1st team undertake the longest away trip of the season to Truro City. Truro acquitted themselves very well at The Meadow in September, keeping Chesham as quiet as any visiting team has managed for much of the first half. They then followed up a 44th minute wonder strike by coolly taking advantage of a second half defensive lapse to get back from 3-1 to to 3-2, ensuring some chewed Chesham finger nails until United ran out eventual 4-2 winners in a very entertaining game.

 The casual observer might be forgiven for looking at City's home record of 2 draws and 5 losses from 8 games at Treyew Road and no clean sheets in any league game, and assuming that the return fixture will be a foregone conclusion for Chesham. That would be unwise. There have been signs lately that Truro's policy of blending youth, experience and local talent is starting to pay off and with 3 wins in the last 4 games, Tigers fans are making positive noises re their team's progress.

Chesham Utd Manager Andy Leese comments:

"There are no easy games in this level of football as we found out with this week's fixtures. It has been another challenging run of games with different styles employed by teams we have played, but we have kept our run going and remained in the FA Trophy and at the top of the League.

Truro will be another test. When they have their full squad available they have the quality to challenge the top 5. We have a quiet confidence about us that comes with winning, and we know how to get results at the moment. The players are ready for the mini tour of coastal resorts next week, with an interesting game against MKDons sandwiched in the middle. They deserve huge credit for where we are, and the players not making the starting X1 have been top class coming in and out of games. We will need to make changes this week to keep the energy levels high, and to keep the quality in our game. Hopefully we will have some support at Truro to help keep this fantastic run going."

City Alerts Wed 6th November plus Frome Town article

Massively disappointed on learning the news that the match against Frome this evening has been cancelled. Steve Massey travelled to Frome this morning to check out the pitch conditions for himself and deemed in his opinion that the pitch was good and more that playable.

At 1pm today, tonight’s Match was cancelled but we understand a local referee brought in by Frome who deemed the Pitch unplayable due to it being underwater. It unfortunate for Truro City as all the preparations had been made and the Players were buzzing in the knowledge that they have won three of their last four games.

The opportunity to win 3 points now moves to this Saturday’s match at home against League leaders Chesham. This is a match not to miss and we would urge anyone who has an interest in football to come along and support Cornwall’s Southern Premier Team. Bars and Turnstile opens at 12 noon kick off 3pm.

 

From the Frome Standard:

Striker search proving difficult for Frome Town boss Brian O'Donnell

Frome Town manager Brian O’Donnell has so far been frustrated in his search for a new striker.

More here...

Hitchin Town match report (from Official Hitchin site)

Saturday, November 2nd 2013

This time, the Canaries could have few complaints. It was tight in the end, but Truro City, who travelled more than 300 miles to play in front of 320 people, showed no sign of travel fatigue as they won by the odd goal in five.

Both teams played their part in a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes, played in front of a colourful travelling crowd, who livened up the afternoon with their non-stop support of their team.

Hitchin took the lead against the run of play in the 15th minute. A high cross into the area was knocked down by Simon Martin and Dan Webb prodded home the ball from close range.

Seven minutes later, however, Truro drew level with a debatable penalty, Webb appearing to bring down Neil Slateford. Steve Tully gave Hitchin keeper Tahj Bell no chance from the penalty spot.

Truro continued to have the upper hand and Slateford and Jamie Lowry both had chances to add to Tully's goal. On the stroke of half-time, they did score, Liam Eddy finishing after Cody Cooke played the ball across goal.

Truro extended their lead in the 48th minute, Slateford showing intricate skill when receiving the ball from Tully, controlling it and steering it past Bell in one slick movement.

Hitchin hit back immediately and in the 50th minute, Martin netted from just outside the penalty area with a low shot.

There was a scare for Hitchin when Slateford's low shot from outside the area was spilled by Bell and then Les Afful's goalbound was blocked by the rear of his team-mate Eddy. Hitchin's Robbie Burns should have done better when he burst through the Truro defence but shot wildly over the bar and substitute Gary Wharton was unlucky to see his shot cleared off the line.

Hitchin thought they had equalised in the 81st minute when a superb long-range effort by Wharton looked to be heading for the top corner of the net but it hit the inside of the post and rebounded away from danger. On this occasion, luck was not with Mark Burke’s side.

Hitchin were gracious in defeat, however, sending Truro back to Cornwall with a crate of beer for the long journey.

Truro fans defy the farce of regionalised football (by Neil Frederik Jensen)

Game of the People link

Apparently, Truro City will cover some 11,500 miles this season to fulfil their Southern League Premier fixtures. That’s an average of 500 miles per away fixture. So much for regional football!

When Truro travelled to Hitchin and back, they ran up around 600 miles. That will cost a coach approximately £500 in petrol. Truro get nothing from the gate from away games and they would have had to leave very early on Saturday morning (although I gather they came up earlier than that). The attendance was 320. Do the math, as they say!

But whereas some clubs who have to travel 50 miles fail to bring more than the proverbial one man and his dog to an away game, Truro’s fans numbered around 50 and they were a credit to the Cornwall club.

They made a day of it, some more than others. They didn’t stop singing, encouraging their team and creating the only atmosphere there was in Hitchin’s Top Field stadium. And this is a team that has not started the season well.

It is almost impossible for a Cornish non-league  team to succeed beyond purely local football. Travelling is one thing – Truro’s local derby is Bideford, a 150-mile round trip -  but also the reservoir of players diminishes as you go west.

Truro have flirted with success, however, but at a cost. They were promoted from the Southern League Premier in 2011 and had two troubled seasons in the Conference South. In June this year, they entered into a CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement), a phrase that is being heard all too often in non-league football at the moment. Despite this, the club is still looking to develop a new ground with the local rugby team, the Cornish Pirates, “A Stadium for Cornwall”.

Whether or not Truro climb again remains to be seen, but their supporters are just glad to see the club operating at a reasonable level after the financial turmoil of the past year. “We’re relieved to be playing,” said one fan who had clearly “made a day of it” at Hitchin. “As long as we’ve got a Truro City, I am happy, and the way we played today gives me great heart.” And, ironically, he raised a glass of Doom Bar beer, a pint from his own Cornish homeland!

Certainly Truro played with a lot of verve and did not look like a team near the bottom end of the table. They deserved their 3-2 triumph against a Hitchin side that has forgotten how to win matches – just one in 15 attempts.

But as out friend made his way home, he may just have wondered how football at this level can sustain itself. A 600-mile round-trip doesn’t make sense. It is time for the West of England to have a dedicated league at Step 3.

Think about it.

Truro City win two in a row for first time this season (by Rhod Mitchell, West Briton)

Hitchin Town 2 Truro City 3

City won back to back games for the first time this season with this hard earned victory in Hertfordshire.

Goals from Steve Tully (penalty), Liam Eddy and Neil Slateford gave City a precious three points as they built on the midweek win by the same margin against AFC Totton.

Manager Steve Massey made one enforced change from the team that beat Totton, with Neil Slateford coming in for the unavailable Olly Brokenshire, who was receiving his degree at Truro Cathedral.

The Calor League premier division began badly for the visitors with Dan Webb scoring from close range to give the Hitchin side an early lead, but Steve Tully, with his first Truro goal, equalised from the penalty spot after Cody Cooke had been fouled in the box.

And City took the lead right on half time when Liam Eddy pounced to score after Neil Slateford’s shot had been parried by the home keeper.

And it got even better for the visitors when Slateford made it 3-1 after 48 minutes with a good turn and shot into the far corner.

But back came the home side who quickly pulled a goal back through Simon Martin and although City had chances through Les Afful and Cooke, they had a let off when substitute Gary Wharton’s shot came back off the post with Ollie Chenoweth beaten.

But despite late Hitchin pressure, City held on for the points as their season starts to gain momentum.
Hitchin Town: Bell; Rolfe, Bickerstaff, Wenn, Pearson, Barker, Donnelly, McGeorge, Burns, Martin, Lowe.

Subs: Noone, Wharton, King, Burtenshaw, Baker.
City: Chenoweth; Tully, Pugh, Kendall White; Slateford, Cooke, Broad, Lowry, Afful (Copp 83), Eddy.
Subs: Evans, Copp, Daw, Sims.
Crowd: 320.