A HEROIC performance from Truro City saw them earn a valuable point in a 1-1 draw against National League promotion-hopefuls Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday night.

The admission fee appeared good value for money on the basis of the entertainment dished out in a first-half that brought about a goal apiece, with Cole Deeming netting his first for the Tinners 10 minutes before the break to cancel out Jili Buyabu’s opener.

Robbie Savage’s Rovers controlled much of the second half but failed to break down what was a staunch rearguard action. When they did burst through, they found themselves up against an in-form Aidan Stone who made two miraculous saves to deny first Tom Knowles and then Temi Babalola.

Stone was called upon again late on, getting his body behind virtually the last kick of the game and on his own goal-line, to seal a hard-earned point in the fight against relegation and against heavily-fancied opposition.

Two weeks ago, the Tinners were at risk of being cut adrift at the foot of the National League table, with an increasingly alarming eight points separating them from safety.

However, two wins and as many clean sheets in three National League outings has flipped the narrative, with Cornwall’s leading lights going into Tuesday’s tie three points from 20th and with momentum on their side.

Forest Green would be formidable opposition, however. They were playing League One football as recently as 2023, before back-to-back relegations saw them fall back into non-league.

Beaten in a semi-final shootout by Southend United during last term’s play-offs, Rovers are once again in promotion contention and had their own three-point deficit to worry about. Theirs though was to bridge the gap between themselves and table-topping Rochdale.

The trip to Nailsworth marked a return to the New Lawn for a Tinners side that held Rovers to a 1-1 draw in a memorable FA Trophy tie back in December of 2016, with Rocky Neal equalising for a City side that saw recent retiree Ben Adelsbury step off the bench.

The versatile defender went on to play 90 minutes in a replay at Treyew Road three days later, when Darren Carter’s extra-time winner was all that could split the two sides.

Rovers went on to secure promotion into the Football League for the first time that season, while City avoided relegation from National League South - perhaps a pair of good omens nearly 10 years on?

The two clubs were linked further still by three attacking players – namely Tinners legend Les Afful, current Wales international Kieffer Moore and Marvin Brown, who sadly passed away in October aged just 42.

Their successors traded chances during an all-action opening stanza on a chilly Gloucestershire evening. Rovers were on the prowl early on but it was City who had the better of the early chances, with Harry Isted needing to stay alert to cut out a Dom Johnson-Fisher cross and to be at his best to make a one-handed save to prevent Lirak Hasani from breaking the deadlock.

The hosts recovered their composure and hit City with a suckerpunch, as Buyabu snuck a shot past Stone to open the scoring on the half-hour mark. The blow they had dealt failed to upset Truro’s rhythm who, almost immediately, found themselves level with West Bromwich Albion loanee Deeming making his own little piece of history with a first professional goal.

Rovers returned for the second half with a look about them that insinuated that Savage may have dished out a stinging broadside during the break. With two new faces in their ranks, on the attack they went with Stone saving well low to his left from Knowles while Hasani made an inch-perfect tackle inside his own area to bring a further foray to an early end.

More substitutions arrived as Savage shuffled his pack again. It almost had the desired effect but Babalola’s strike whistled just the wrong side of the post for those of a Rovers persuasion.

Johnson-Fisher looked the most likely at the other end, shooting over when afforded a rare second half opportunity, as the game opened and built up to a furious pace.

Tensions began to simmer and the yellow cards came thick and fast, with each of Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tyler Harvey and Shaun Donnellan booked in quick succession.

Lighthearted histrionics between two old pros, John Askey and Savage, continued in the technical areas, with the former making a first change as the clock ticked over the 80-minute mark – Luke Jephcott on for Harvey.

Rovers continued to push the ball this way and that, and weren't quite out of ideas yet, with Stone saving superbly from Babalola who caught a strike sweetly before coming off his line to claim a deep free-kick and watching on as Nick Haughton's free-kick from the edge of the area flashed inches wide.

He came to City’s rescue again during four minutes of added time, which soon turned into six and was concluded by a full-time whistle greeted warmly by the 157 travelling supporters who gave their terrific Tinners a standing ovation.

The draw moves them off the bottom of the table at the expense of Gateshead but other results mean they are now four points adrift of Aldershot Town, who sit above the dotted line on goal difference. Next up? Another side dreaming of promotion in the shape of Southend. Never mind, Truro need fear nobody.

TRURO CITY: Stone; Riley-Lowe (capt), Harrison, Donnellan, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Dean, Johnson-Fisher, En-Neyah, Deeming, Hasani, Harvey (Jephcott, 81); Subs not used: Lavercombe (gk), Bell, Kinsey, Law, Marsh, Palfrey.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS: Isted; Kanu (Pemberton, 45), Innis, Bunker, Knowles, Buyabu (Dausch, 61), Mendy (capt), Clarke (Kengni, 61), Whitwell, Bamba (Haughton, 45), Babalola. Subs not used: Mitchell, Moore, Pagel.

Referee: Jason Richardson.

Attendance: 2,161 (157 away).