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Regarding the players, staff, and travelling supporters from the Cornish outfit, the arduous return journey of 914 miles to face Gateshead proved bittersweet ultimately. The 12-hour bus journey 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.

The team tied the National League fixture two goals apiece at Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday having led 2-0 in the 54th minute, in what is turning out to be a season of epic train journeys and tireless road trips up and down English A roads and motorways. Following strikes by Johnson-Fisher and Oxlade-Chamberlain, the hosts fought back via Adom and a 70th-minute equalizer from Nouble.

“Clubs that come down to us, most of them are flying down and staying over on the Friday, so for us to have to do it on the coach is not ideal, but because we have so many long journeys, that’s the way we have to do it.” — the team's manager

Already this term the club undertook a journey to face Carlisle for a 3-0 defeat that clocked up 878 miles. Due to the team's remote location, their shortest away match is against Yeovil Town, around a two-and-a-half-hour schlep via the A30 to Huish Park, a 130-mile trip each direction.

Galvanising Effect from Extended Journeys

On Saturday the initial 90 supporters were treated to a £920 drinks tab, courtesy of the EFL sponsor, Sky Bet, the complimentary beverage fund representing £1 for every mile travelled. At least the players were able to break up their journey with a pause at Derby's training facility.

Even their Canadian chair, Eric Perez, who appreciates long-distance travel as he frequently flies seven hours from Toronto to London, understands the challenge confronting the club he acquired in 2023 with ambitions of “doing a Wrexham”.

The extensive travel also brings advantages for the region's first pro football team, in his view. “I’m not going to say it’s a short journey, It’s a ridiculously long journey in context,” Perez told BBC Sport. However, it serves to strengthen our squad further – everybody spends time together, we are accustomed to journeying as a group.”

Dedicated Supporters Face Long Trips

A committed Truro follower, John Joyce, is resigned to long days of travelling yet stays devoted, despite the odd flight cancellation and exhausting rail journeys. 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, following the Carlisle expedition: “Truro's uniqueness as a club is that the supporters get behind the team no matter what. Last term's promotion success made it easy to back the squad, yet the supporters rarely complain and they value the players' efforts.”