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Regarding the players, staff, and travelling supporters from the Cornish outfit, the gruelling return journey of 914 miles to face Gateshead proved bittersweet in the end. Their lengthy coach ride starting in south-west Cornwall all the way up England’s spine to the north-east bore a single point and a free pint or two.

Truro drew the National League fixture two goals apiece away at Gateshead this past 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. Following strikes by Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gateshead rebounded through Kain Adom and, in the 70th minute, Frank Nouble.

“Opposition teams visiting us often fly in and stay overnight, making our coach travel less than ideal, yet with our extensive schedule, it’s our only option.” — the team's manager

Already this term Truro have made a trek to Carlisle for a 3-0 defeat covering 878 miles. Such is the club’s relative isolation, their shortest away match is at Yeovil Town, a roughly two-and-a-half-hour drive via the A30 to Huish Park, a 130-mile trip each direction.

Unifying Effect from Extended Journeys

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. Fortunately, the squad could interrupt their travel with a stop at Derby County’s training ground.

Their chairman from Canada, Eric Perez, accustomed to long-haul trips since he regularly flies seven hours long-haul from Toronto to London, recognizes the difficulties confronting the club he acquired in 2023 aiming to emulate Wrexham's success.

All this time on the road has benefits too for the region's first pro football team, in his view. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It's an exceptionally long distance relatively,” Perez told BBC Sport. “But what that does is galvanise our side even further – the team bonds during travel, we’re used to travelling together.”

Dedicated Fans Face Long Travels

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling yet stays devoted, despite the odd flight cancellation and wearisome train treks. He estimates Saturday’s trip cost him around £400 in expenses and lost earnings, remarking, “During my naval career with Nato, the drive from Brussels to Cornwall was shorter than from Cornwall to Gateshead.”

As Askey said, after their Carlisle odyssey: “Truro's uniqueness as a club lies in the fans' unwavering support regardless of circumstances. Last term's promotion success made it easy to back the squad, yet the supporters rarely complain and they appreciate what the players have done.”