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For the players, staff, and travelling supporters from the Cornish outfit, the arduous 914-mile round trip to Gateshead proved bittersweet ultimately. The 12-hour bus journey from Cornwall in the south-west all the way up England’s spine to the north-east bore a single point plus complimentary drinks.

Truro drew their National League match two goals apiece away at Gateshead on Saturday after holding a two-goal lead by the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a season of epic train journeys and unrelenting hauls across England's highways. After goals from Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gateshead rebounded through Kain Adom and, in the 70th minute, Frank Nouble.

“Clubs that come down to us, most of them are flying down and staying over on the Friday, so for us to have to do it on the coach is not ideal, but because we have so many long journeys, that’s the way we have to do it.” — the team's manager

Earlier in the season Truro have made a trek to face Carlisle resulting in a 3-0 loss covering 878 miles. Such is the club’s relative isolation, their shortest away match is at Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep along the A30 to Huish Park, 130 miles each way.

Galvanising Effect of Long Travels

On Saturday the initial 90 supporters to arrive shared a £920 bar tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, the complimentary beverage fund equating to £1 per mile covered. At least the players were able to break up their journey with a pause at Derby's training facility.

Their chairman from Canada, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel as he frequently flies seven hours long-haul from Toronto to London, understands the challenge facing the club he took over in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

All this time on the road also brings advantages for the region's first pro football team, he believes. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It’s a ridiculously long journey in context,” Perez stated. “But what that does is galvanise our side even further – everybody spends time together, we’re used to travelling together.”

Loyal Supporters Endure Long Travels

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling but remains committed, notwithstanding occasional flight issues and exhausting rail journeys. He calculated the recent trip at roughly £400 in costs and missed income, noting, “I worked for Nato in the last six years of my career in the navy, and it was a shorter drive from Brussels back to Cornwall than it is from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

As Askey said, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club lies in the fans' unwavering support no matter what. Last term's promotion success so it was easy to get behind the players, yet the supporters rarely complain and they appreciate what the players have done.”