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Truro City win historic National League South title

Truro City win historic National League South title

BBC News26-04-2025
Truro City won the National League South title after beating St Albans City 5-2 at the Truro Community Stadium.The victory means Truro become the first club ever from Cornwall to win promotion to the National League.Any side in the top six could have won the title going into the final round of matches with Truro top on goal difference from nearest neighbours Torquay United, who were 4-1 winners at mid-table Hemel Hempstead.Truro end the campaign on 89 points, level on points with Torquay but winning the title by virtue of having a better goal difference of just two goals.The win also meant that St Albans finished the campaign in the final relegation place and will drop to the seventh tier of English football next season.
The dynamic Cornish side were 3-0 up inside the first 10 minutes as they wasted no time in doing their bit to win the title.First, Luke Jephcott converted Connor Riley-Lowe's fifth-minute cross from the left at the far post to send the home crowd into raptures.Two minutes later, Dominic Johnson-Fisher got on the end of a Tyler Harvey cross from the right to double the lead. Harvey put the result beyond doubt just three minutes later as he dinked a ball over the top past St Albans keeper Michael Johnson.Truro were first to the ball throughout and did not give their opponents a chance to settle.St Albans did pull one back against the run of play when Harrison Smith nodded in a 28th-minute corner from close range, but the hosts' three-goal lead was restored two-minutes later when Riley-Lowe flicked home Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain's long throw.It could have been 5-1 moments later as Johnson-Fisher forced an incredible point-blank save from Johnson after a long throw was not dealt with by the visiting defence.
St Albans brought on towering striker Alex Wall on at half-time as they tried to salvage something from the game, and the forward almost pulled a goal back after an hour as Oxlade-Chamberlain did well to block his header.Will Dean blocked a Ken Charles shot midway through the half as Saints made the game more even.After news filtered through that Hemel had reduced their deficit against Torquay to 3-1, the home fans had felt able to relax after a tense spell at the start of the second period.However, when Torquay's former Truro striker Cody Cooke got his hat-trick to make it 4-1 in Hemel with 15 minutes left you could feel the nerves return around Truro's new ground.It got even more tense when St Albans substitute Shaun Jeffers headed in a Charles cross with 12 minutes to go to make it 4-2 and narrow Truro's lead at the top to one goal on goal difference.Harvey had a goal ruled out soon after when Truro substitute Andrew Neal was offside while Yassine En-Nayah shot agonisingly wide of the post with nine minutes to go.But seconds later, long-serving Truro striker Neal sealed the promotion as he broke through and fired a low left-footed shot off the base of the post and in past Johnson to send the record home crowd of 3,597 wild.
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Wrexham boss Parkinson's lowdown on new signings
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time7 minutes ago

  • BBC News

Wrexham boss Parkinson's lowdown on new signings

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European champions England given a hero's welcome outside Buckingham Palace
European champions England given a hero's welcome outside Buckingham Palace

The Herald Scotland

timean hour ago

  • The Herald Scotland

European champions England given a hero's welcome outside Buckingham Palace

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European champions England given a hero's welcome outside Buckingham Palace
European champions England given a hero's welcome outside Buckingham Palace

Glasgow Times

timean hour ago

  • Glasgow Times

European champions England given a hero's welcome outside Buckingham Palace

Less than 48 hours on from the nerve-shredding penalty shootout in Basel that saw Sarina Wiegman's side retain their European crown, throngs of supporters took over the approach to Buckingham Palace as the team paraded the trophy along the famous route from an open-top bus and revelled in an achievement unique in English football. For the first time since England teams began competing at major international tournaments in 1950, a side bearing the three lions returned home victorious as Chloe Kelly's winning kick capped a stunning fightback against the world champions, making Wiegman's players the first to win a tournament outside of England. It was a fitting intervention that, as the bus arrived from the Mall to a specially-erected stage in front of the palace at around 12:20, an overcast sky over London parted for the first time and bathed the European champions in sunshine. Some supporters had waited for 12 hours for captain Leah Williamson and her team. The earliest devotees reportedly set up camp just after midnight in anticipation of the players' arrival on the Mall just past noon, to be joined by fans who had travelled from all over the country and who represented a cross-section of ages and backgrounds. A carnival atmosphere had been heightened at around 11am when footage was shown on a big screen of England's remarkable route through the tournament. From the disappointment of the loss to France with which they began the defence of their title, to the escapology acts of the knockout stages that saw them fight back from the brink of elimination against Sweden and Italy. England celebrated during Tuesday's homecoming victory parade (Gareth Fuller/PA) The England supporters' band – the soundtrack to so many tournament disappointments throughout decades of England teams returning home empty-handed – were in attendance, underscoring the significance to English football of the Lionesses' back-to-back tournament triumphs. Later, the Central Band of the Royal Air Force took over to serenade the players onto stage with a rendition of 'Sweet Caroline'. Addressing the crowd, a visibly emotional Williamson said: 'Special people, we love each other, we've got each other's back on and off the pitch. 'Everything we do, we do for us and the team but we do it for the country and young girls. This job never existed thirty years ago. This story's not done yet.' The duo you didn't know you needed 😁😁 — Lionesses (@Lionesses) July 29, 2025 Wiegman, who was coaxed into dancing by an on-stage appearance from Afrobeat star Burna Boy, said: 'We just kept hope and belief and (the players) showed up when it was really necessary and urgent. 'There's a huge talent pool in this team. The bonding in this team in this tournament, that made the difference. Everyone was willing to step up and support each other.' Kelly, whose goal in the final moment of extra-time put England through against Italy – before hitting the winning penalty in the final – said: 'Pressure? What pressure? It feels so good to stand side by side with these girls. Thank you to everyone who got out to support us. It's so f*****g special.' A reported crowd of 50,000 lined central London's Mall to celebrate with the Lionesses (Yui Mok/PA) Goalkeeper and penalty hero Hannah Hampton said: 'Don't let people tell you what you can and can't do. If it makes you happy go and follow that smile.' Young player of the tournament Michelle Agyemang, whose equalising goals in the quarter-final and semi-final, said: 'It's still surreal. It doesn't even seem real.' The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for when Williamson lifted the European Championship trophy high as Buckingham Palace disappeared behind plumes of red and white smoke and 'Sweet Caroline' echoed again over London.

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