TEN-man Truro City extended their unbeaten run to three matches after being held to a goalless draw at home to Tamworth.

Manager John Askey made just the one change to the Tinners side that drew 1-1 at promotion-hunting Forest Green Rovers last time out, with one of three new signings, Harry Charsley, handed a full debut in place of loanee Cole Deeming whose been recalled by West Bromwich Albion. Fellow fresh faces Jack Stretton and George Cooper took up places on the City bench.

Six points separated the bottom six sides going into this tie, but it was the Tinners, who hadn’t played since December 30,that were immediately on the front foot.

They could have found themselves ahead inside three minutes as Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain raced down the right-hand side and delivered a cross into the corridor of uncertainty, one which Tyler Harvey was inches from connecting with. Harvey could in fact have had a brace inside five minutes, with a header from Charsley's corner deflected on its way to goal and another nodded effort sent straight down the throat of visiting custodian Jas Singh.

The visiting side's worries were exacerbated by a game-ending injury to Oliver Lynch, who limped off to be repalced by Jordan Ponticelli with 25 on the clock.

Thereafter, further half-chances came and went for a City side looking to build on their upward momentum, but it was Tamworth who ended the half the strongest however. The Tinners forced into some defensive action as Will Dean watched a hoofed clearance all the way, ahead of performing a perfect slide tackle on the edge of his own box to prevent Ben Acquaye from getting a shot away. The chance of the half soon followed though, with Stone needing cat-like reactions to keep out Ponticilli's header with a strong one-handed save almost on his own goal-line.

City's intended start to the second half was stunted when Yassine En-Neyah sustained a knock that meant he could play no further part. He was replaced in the engine room by Billy Palfrey.

Tamworth were in the ascendency and Stone was called upon on multiple occasions, plucking a trademark Tom Tonks throw out of the air before making two more reaction saves to prevent Tamworth making hay from a swift counter-attack.

City were by no means out of the picture however and gave a bit back when captain Connor Riley-Lowe played a neat one-two with Johnson-Fisher prior to planting an inch-perfect ball on to the head of Harvey, who diverted his header narrowly wide of the mark.

The pendulum swung this way and that as both sides went in search of a late winner but the momentum changed once Dean was given his marching orders with seven minutes to play for an elbow.

Again, Stone was the busier of the two custodians with a third consecutive clean sheet protected in the dying embers thanks to a diving save to keep out Brandon Forbes' inventive set-piece.

Truro visit Rochdale on Saturday, January 24 before a National League Cup knockout clash at home to Braintree Town three days later.

TRURO CITY: Stone, Riley-Lowe (capt), Dean, Harrison, En-Neyah (Palfrey, 49), Harvey, Johnson-Fisher, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hasani, Donnellan, Charlsey. Subs not used: Lavercombe, Jephcott, Law, Kinsey, Stretton, Cooper.

Attendance: 2,292.