Weymouth Vs Truro City
National League South, Bob Lucas Stadium, Tuesday 28 November, 19.45 GMT
Welcome back home, Terras fans!
It’s been over two weeks since we were last able to see our players on our own turf, the most recent time being our 1-1 draw at home to St Albans City where Calvin Brooks bundled home a late equaliser.
The next two games has seen a mixed bag in terms of results, a dominating FA-Trophy display away to Weston-super-Mare preceding a disappointing defeat away to Hornchurch last weekend.
It marked a disappointing end to a good run of form, Saturday being our first loss in 10 games.
Mark Molesley, understandably frustrated after the full-time whistle, said he was “hurt” by our “first defeat in a while.”
Still, in the eyes of our gaffer it is “good news” that today’s game has come around so soon, with it presenting an opportunity for us to “put things right.”
But it won’t be easy, tonight’s opponents Truro City sitting in second place with just one defeat in their last 10 league games.
HOW TO FOLLOW
We are delighted to announce that Alfie Moggeridge is commentating his first match this evening; give him plenty of support and click HERE to access his in-game thoughts!
SMUGGLERS SMUGGLING THEIR WAY TO THE TOP
Just three points off league-leaders Weston-super-Mare, Cornwall’s biggest club are at one of the highest points in their history.
In the eyes of The Smugglers’ supporters, the West Country outfit are “firing on all cylinders.”
But for tonight’s opponents, success hasn’t always been guaranteed.
The start of this century saw The Tinners lingering near the bottom of the 10th division of English football, rocked by financial difficulties.
But 2004 marked the start of a major turnaround in direction, when wealthy property developer Kevin Heaney purchased the club and announced plans to “invest £4m” into the “troubled team.”
Heaney, who bemoaned the club’s lack of direction, immediately laid the foundations of his master plan by ordering the “refurbishment of the clubhouse,” though his long-term goals were much more ambitious.
Speaking to the Somerset County Gazette, he announced a 10-year plan which would aim to see Truro become one of the best teams in the South West playing a “professional league level.”
But seven years into his reign saw Heaney at risk of being chucked off his throne after it was revealed that the club owed over £100,000 in tax.
From then The Smugglers were forced to pay back their debts to avoid risk of “winding up.”
Soon enough, Heaney stepped down after being declared bankrupt and the Cornish club were forced to file for administration.
October then came round the corner, when it was announced that the club’s administrators had failed to meet the deadline of their £50,000 bond, thus looking set to confirm liquidation.
However, local businessmen Pete Masters and Philip Perryman came to the rescue, and threats of liquidation had evaporated.
This turbulent time was over a decade ago and, under John Askey there could hardly be a bigger contrast in circumstances.
The Stoke-on-Trent-born gaffer took over from Paul Wotton this summer, who headed to Devon to begin his stint at Torquay United.
Sitting in second place, with the joint-second most wins, joint-third least goals conceded and fifth-most goals scored, only Weston-super-Mare sit above them in the table.
Their standout player currently, once again, is the ever-prolific Tyler Harvey, who has been The Tinners’ main marksman since 2017, besides a two-month stint at Bath City in 2019.
Scoring more than any other Truro player over the previous three campaigns, the Plymouth-born forward has outscored every sixth-tier player so far this season with 12 to his name.
His strikes, however, have failed to fly into our net of late, with our brave backline keeping clean sheets in all of these last three fixtures.
Though make no mistake, Mark is right to call tonight’s clash against one of the league’s “high-flyers” a “tough test.”
