By Gareth Davies

SKIPPER Connor Riley-Lowe says that the end of season schedule for his Truro City side has been ‘carnage’. 

The former Exeter City defender, who famously scored the winning goal to take City into National League South 12 months ago, has led his side on a run of 10 games in 20 days. 

Eight of those games have been ‘home’ matches, but owing to City’s groundshare ending with Plymouth Parkway in February, another temporary switch to Taunton failed because of the wet weather.

This saw City forced to play games at Gloucester City’s Meadow Park, a commute of 194 miles each way from Truro. But against all the odds, Riley-Lowe and his charges secured Step Two status with a 1-0 win over Dover Athletic last Tuesday. 

“It has been carnage to be fair,” Riley-Lowe told trurocity.co.uk. “We knew it was coming because we had so many games cancelled during the season, but I don’t think we realised just how tough it would be. 

“It was 10 games in 20 days which was a tough shift and although not everyone played in every game, the majority of the squad was used. We all chipped in and got there in the end. 

“The hardest thing was all the time spent in a car, up and down, up and down, it really does impact your body. You are then playing on astro which isn’t best for your body, but as always, the lads dug in. 

“Nobody made a fuss and if someone couldn’t make a game, one of the other lads stepped in and stepped up.”

Riley-Lowe also revealed his pride in captaining Truro and despite the former Exeter City man, who has also turned out for Bath City, revealing he is not your everyday skipper, this current City crop is full of leaders. 

“Proud, absolutely, to walk the boys out every time,” he added when asked what it meant to lead the side. “I know without a shadow of a doubt that even if we don’t play the best football on the day, each and every player will work their socks off. 

“We have a real honest squad and that shows with the adversity we have had to overcome this year. I don’t think many other squads will get through what we have.

“I’m not your typical captain who screams and shouts, I like to lead by setting a good example. We have leaders all over the pitch and we have plenty of leaders that will step up when we need to.”

With Truro returning to a new facility next season, this will end a near four-year exile for the side after they vacated Treyew Road in January 2021. And Riley-Lowe hailed the support the side have received whilst in exile as ‘unbelievable’. 

“Every year I have been a Truro player, we have had such a good connection with our fans,” the 28-year-old enthused. “We really appreciate their support and we feel that we have paid them back for going up to Gloucester with some of the performances on the pitch.

“They have been unbelievable and just to see them with smiles on their faces, singing along with the lads is special.

“We will be playing back in front them next season and ultimately, we are coming home.”