United’s pre-season schedule comes to an end tomorrow, as Gary Johnson’s side head to Bolitho Park to face Truro City in their final friendly.
With Truro currently paying their home matches in the county of Devon, rather than Cornwall, Saturday’s trip to the home of Plymouth Parkway will give The Gulls one last chance for fine-tuning, before the action begins for real against Oldham Athletic the following weekend.
Who’s the Boss?
Playing home matches in the city of Plymouth certainly won’t trouble the White Tigers’ manager Paul Wotton, who established himself as a club legend at League One Plymouth Argyle during the course of two spells at Home Park which saw him amass nearly 500 appearances and over 60 goals over a combined total of some 17 years.
Wotton has been in the dugout at Truro for three years now, with the club one of a number to see their progress stall as a result of the early curtailment of 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns.
How have they been doing?
After departing National League South in the opposite direction to The Gulls in 2018/19, City were leading the way in the Southern League before things ended early the following year, with a promising 4th-place standing in the early stages of 2020/21 only adding to the frustration as history repeated itself in 2021/22.
Although Wotton’s men weren’t quite able to sustain things last season – finishing eight points adrift of the play-offs – hopes are high that this season will see Truro return to the sixth tier once more.
Player to Watch
Connor Riley-Lowe is in his fourth stint at the club, having previously enjoyed two loan spells in Cornwall as a youngster at Exeter City.
Having found his first-team aspirations at St James Park quite limited, Riley-Lowe’s form for Truro – and Bath City for a year between two permanent spells – have led many observers to suggest that Connor’s ambitions higher up the footballing ladder may still be fulfilled in the future, and the left-back will surely be hoping that success will come at his current club.
Played for Both
James Hamon can rightfully claim to have made first-team appearances for both clubs, even if his solitary outing for Gary Johnson’s side was one of the briefest possible.
With promotion-chasing United leading 2-0 and seemingly cruising to a comfortable win at Solihull Moors, a late red card for Gulls ‘keeper Shaun MacDonald saw James rise from the substitutes’ bench in stoppage time to help Torquay hold on for that advantage, and although an even later Solihull goal set a few nerves jangling, Hamon and his teammates held on for a valuable three points.
At City, his first-team opportunities have been far more forthcoming, with the former Exeter stopper becoming a fan favourite in the process.
Previous Encounter
Truro City 1 – 3 Torquay United, January 1st, 2019
This New Year’s Day clash made national headlines, however it wasn’t down to the action-packed encounter itself.
The match itself saw City strike first, as future-Gull Jared Lewington gave the hosts – playing at Plainmoor as tenants – a shock lead. Leading scorer Jamie Reid may have levelled things up midway through the first period, however the rest of the drama was saved for a frenetic last thirteen minutes, as Reid struck again to put the ‘visitors’ ahead, just before former United winger Niall Thompson received his marching orders.
The points were eventually sealed with Kalvin Kalala scoring the clinching third for United with four minutes left, however it was the attendance of 2,812 supporters (2,760 away) that caught many tabloids eyes – with the Yellow Army setting a new visiting attendance for the sixth tier – despite being very much in their home stadium!
Ticket Information
Tickets for the match which takes place on Saturday 30th July (3pm KO) are available online HERE, or alternatively can be purchased at the ground on the day of the game. Please note that Adult and Concession tickets purchased online are subject to a £1.75 booking fee, and that ID may be requested upon entry.
Admission Prices
- Adults – £10
- Concessions – £5
Those unable to make the trip will be able to keep up with proceedings with live commentary available on TUFC Radio here.
Getting to Bolitho Park
By Car:
Directions :Leave the A38 at the Manadon junction, at the roundabout take the turning for St Peters Road, ground entrance is then 1 mile on your right hand side (Sat Nav: PL5 3JH)
There is a public car park at the ground which is free to use. If the car park is full, please use free car parks located at Crownhill Village (Moors Head Road) or Tesco car park (Transit Way)
By Public Transport:
From Plymouth, the 61-bus service will drop you directly outside the ground. There are also a host of buses run regularly to Crownhill leaving a short walk to the ground. There is also a Park and Ride from Plymouth Argyle Football Club .
Truro City v Torquay United | 30/07/2022 3pm KO | Bolitho Park, Plymouth, PL5 3JH