TRURO City retained the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy with victory over a spirited Falmouth Town outfit.

The margin of victory could have been far greater had City converted a glut of second half chances, with visiting custodian Morgan Coxhead making a number of fine saves.

The deadlock remained unbroken during a first half of few clear cut opportunities, with City opening the scoring just after the hour mark through defender Sam Sanders.

Falmouth had a glorious chance to equalise shortly after when Martyn Duff fired over from the edge of the box, but City ensured local bragging rights remained in TR4, as Dominic Johnson-Fisher doubled the Tinners’ advantage eight minutes from time.

City boss John Askey made a number of changes from the side which started the narrow friendly reverse at home to Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday.

There were first starts of this pre-season for Max Kinsey and Yassine En-Neyah, while Tyler Harvey returned after missing the midweek clash against his old side.

In front of a four-figure gate of 1,005, the biggest to watch an Aubrey Wilkes Trophy match for many years, Truro dominated the ball in the early exchanges as expected, but the Tinners found Town a tough nut to crack.

The home side did have the ball in the net after 12 minutes when Harvey crossed for skipper Connor Riley-Lowe, who diverted home, but the flag of assistant Nigel D’Arcy was raised.

Truro had further openings as the half wore on with Johnson-Fisher firing over when well-placed, while Kinsey and Will Dean both had headed opportunities.

Into the second stanza and City started positively with Coxhead taking the ball off Johnson-Fisher’s toes before a rebound from a Dean shot fell to Oxlade-Chamberlain who fired over.

Riley-Lowe was the next to bring Coxhead – who was a Truro player before joining Falmouth – into action before City finally broke the deadlock after 62 minutes.

A corner was only half cleared and with Coxhead stranded, Sanders hooked into an unguarded net.

But almost straight from the restart, Falmouth made a rare foray forward and the ball fell to Duff, back at Bickland Park for his second spell, who blazed over.

After that scare, City reasserted control again as Sanders was denied a second when his header was clawed away by a now overworked Coxhead, while the visiting incumbent also denied A Trialist.

The second and match-clinching goal arrived eight minutes from time when Tylor Love-Holmes fed Johnson-Fisher and with Coxhead advancing, the former Whitehawk forward lifted the ball over Falmouth’s stopper and into the net.

Johnson-Fisher had further sights of goal as time ticked down while A Trialist also had a good shooting opportunity that didn’t test Coxhead.

The final word nearly went to Falmouth when substitute Luke Brabyn broke free and fired straight at Lavercombe, but the home side’s clean sheet remained in place and the Aubrey Wilkes Trophy will stay at the Truro City Stadium for another 12 months.

TRURO CITY: Lavercombe, Oxlade-Chamberlain (Adelsbury, 85), Kinsey, Sanders, Love-Holmes, Dean (Sanogo, 84), En-Neyah (A Trialist, 64), Hasani (Palfrey, 64), Riley-Lowe (capt, Law, 76), Johnson-Fisher, Harvey (Jephcott, 64). Sub not used: Burstow.

FALMOUTH TOWN: Coxhead, Symons, Leivers, Jewell, Annear (capt), Walter, Duff, Webber, Wilson, Hutchison, Sims. Subs: Everall, Evans, Thomas, Brabyn, Barner.