Truro City began their pre-season campaign with a professional and comprehensive victory over Tavistock.

In sweltering Devon heat, City were dominant throughout and scored twice as the interval approached to lead 2-0 at the break. Captain Connor Riley-Lowe broke the deadlock, with substitute C Trialist doubling the Tinners’ lead. 

After the turnaround, with Truro fielding a completely different starting X1, B Trialist missed from the penalty spot before a quick-fire brace from Dominic Johnson-Fisher doubled the visitors’ tally. 

The scoring was completed with three minutes left when a training ground free-kick routine involving Lirak Hasani and Zac Bell, was emphatically fired home by B Trialist. 

Tinners boss John Askey handed recent recruit Harry Kite his first taste of action in a City shirt, whilst Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain started for the first time as a permanent Truro player. 

During the early exchanges, as expected, Truro had plenty of the ball and after 11 minutes, fashioned the game’s first chance of note. Tylor Love-Holmes burst into the box and found the arriving Billy Palfrey, with the Cornish midfielder heading just over.

Truro were having lots of joy in wide areas and a Riley-Lowe cross from the other flank then picked out Tyler Harvey, who first time on the volley, was denied by his brother Corey, trialling for the Lambs between the sticks. 

Will Dean was the next visiting player to have a sight of goal, but he shot just past the post on the half hour mark. 

The next action of note saw Dan Rooney withdrawn from the fray as a precaution after suffering a slight hamstring strain, replaced by C Trialist. 

And then, just as it looked like the deadlock would remain unbroken going into half-time, City struck twice. 

Firstly, a deep cross from Dean was powerfully headed home by Riley-Lowe, via the inside of Corey Harvey’s post. Then, almost straight from the restart, Tavistock coughed up possession and C Trialist finished well into the net. 

The entirely changed City side continued in the second period, as they had finished the first with Johnson-Fisher bursting into the box and from a tight angle, crashed an effort off the woodwork. 

With the game being played almost exclusively in the Tavistock half, Hasani’s corner found another City debutant in Max Kinsey, but the Bournemouth loanee was just off target. 

Zac Bell then found the fabled corridor of uncertainty with B Trialist lurking, but Corey Harvy was quick off his line to hold well. 

From another quick turnover, City were immediately on the front foot and Bell centre was handled by the hosts in the box and merry whistle blower Neil Lane pointed to the spot. 

Up stepped B Trialist and despite Corey Harvey going the wrong way, the powerful spot kick went wide. 

As the final 20 minutes approached, Kinsey was narrowly off target again before an emphatic look was placed upon the scoreline – thanks chiefly to Johnson-Fisher. 

A lightning break involving Ryan Law and Yassine En-Neyah saw the ball in the six-yard box and despite Corey Harvey getting a hand to it, there was Johnson-Fisher to tap home. 

And just like the first half goalscoring, one became two for City inside a minute as a routine cross wasn’t gathered by Corey Harvey and Johnson-Fisher bundled home. 

The hosts then made a number of substitutions as time ticked down, which affected the momentum of proceedings, although the final word went to Truro, with the goal of the game. 

Bell was bundled over just to the right of the box and after quick thinking from Hasani, the former fed B Trialist who hammered the ball home to ensure that Askey’s charges begin preparations for their maiden National League campaign in the best way possible. 

Match Facts 

City first half: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dean, Sanders, Love-Holmes, Kite, Rooney (C Trialist, 38), Palfrey, Riley-Lowe, T Harvey, A Trialist. 

City second half: D Trialist, Bell, Adelsbury, Kinsey, Law, E Trialist, Sanogo, Hasani, En-Neyah, Johnson-Fisher, B Trialist.

Tavistock squad: Vaughan, Almond, Kendel, Splop, Jackson, Rosenquest, Burns, Fowles, Donovan, Elliott, Crago, Felton, C Harvey (G/K), Northam, Mabin, French, Hughes, Lindsall, Mahoney, Harris. 

Referee: Neil Lane

Attendance: 299