Ian Pethick

3rd season in a row that City have gone out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle. You have to go back to 2021/22 for the last win in in this competition (Exmouth Town in the 1st qualifying round). This sounded like a pretty tame defeat, and a chance of a bit of glory (not to mention prize money) blown.

Jack Crago, as hard working and honest player as you would find, but not exactly prolific last season. He didn't score in the final 20 games. Perhaps it is as Chris McPhee said, he just didn't fit with how he wants the side to play. It happens. More concerning for Parkway is that Dylan Jones, for all his obvious talent and potential, isn't scoring. Apart from the Winchester game, it has been fine margins in the results and not some of the hammerings that Parkway were taking in the opening month of last season. Have to believe it will click sooner rather than later.

Picked up the scream from Carlo Garside on the commentary. Also, unfortunately, the bickering between the Parkway players (which was remarked upon by the Peacocks Radio people) was audible. The loud reception from the Parkway faithful for Jack Crago when he came on was very noticeable, no doubt Chris McPhee also heard this. In his post match interview, it was the first time I have seen McPhee look down and frustrated. He believed it was 2 pts dropped, and spoke about players not learning or understanding their roles and what is being asked of them. Fear it's going to be a long and hard winter in what is realistically a relegation battle already.

Parkway 2 Taunton 2 Listened to this in Crete via Peacocks on line commentary. Pretty good listen, and enjoyed them going round the grounds and keeping us up to date with what was happening in the night's other Southern Prem South fixtures. Sounded like a late onslaught for Parkway against 10 men Taunton (they had a player receive a straight red for a "challenge" on Carlo Garside), but Chris McPhee's side were unable to force the first win of the season. Goals from Ryan Brett and Mikey Williams in each half recovered an early 0-2 deficit.

Would be good to get Danni Peel (Cornwall FA CEO) on the CS Podcast to ( hopefully) give a bit more detail behind this announcement.

Looking at the pictures of the TCS, as it seems to be called now, notice that there is quite a distance from the pitch perimeter to the touchline and goallines. Is this to accommodate rugby league (or even rugby union) in the future?

As it so often the case at step 3 and above, top class strikers like Walton's Dawid Rogalski (who scored both the goals) make the difference. Not very many of them around, everybody wants them and they're not cheap. Parkway have been searching since Ben Seymour moved on.

Regarding Truro's young starlets. Big,big leap from step 6 to their first team at step 2. Would a spell out on loan at a step 4 club (one of the Cornish one's for example) be beneficial?

Nothing at all illegal or underhand from City, but having Scott Burgess (who has experience in the Football League and National League) and Pharrell Johnson (on loan from Nottingham Forest) in the starting eleven, must help. At the end of the day, they are a reserve side, and it is up to them how they use it.

Highest SWPL attendance so far this season?

Thought it was the league that scheduled fixtures, not the club's. We're talking step 4/5 clubs here, not park teams. If they can't put together players and a selection of substitutes who, you know, want to play a game of football in the football season, then you would question why they're operating at Southern/Western League level.

Was this midweek left blank for potential FA Cup replays? Agree though, you would think there would be a full midweek program of Southern/Western league matches (with them being postponed in the event of the FA Cup taking priority).

Pretty sure he's on a contract at Parkway, so that may complicate matters slightly. Although I guess the loan agreement could just be extended. Does seem like Chris McPhee doesn't fancy him, which makes it seem strange that he took him all the way through pre season and let him go out on loan just as the season started. Especially as no obvious replacement was brought in.

Yes, the Southern League South is a long grind of a campaign (especially as it's a 42 game season this time around). As you've said, the winter months will be when we get an idea of who's got what about them. Jake Ash and Matt Cusack have both been around this league before, and know its demands.

Not going to comment on the Parkway players and playing style as I haven't seen them yet this season, but I am impressed by the way Chris McPhee conducts himself in post matches. Speaks honestly, openly and with intelligence, a contrast to the angry with the world, seige mentality we had from Lee Hobbs previously (McPhee has, to my knowledge, not mentioned a referee or their decisions at all either). In this latest interview, I found his comments regarding Jack Crago and the thinking behind sending him out on loan, very enlightening.

Scott Burgess now signs. A serious player at this level and above who was a free agent after being released by York City, and is well known to John Askey. I think, an addition to get excited about, and it possibly signals that the owners are thinking of more than just consolidation this season

Adds a bit of depth to the centre back area. What has happened to Ben Adlesbury? Struggled with injuries last season, but not been seen either in the starting line up or on the bench since the first game of the season v Dorking.

Banned from the start of the 2025/26 season. Although tellingly, the wording is a ban on "front of shirt sponsorship."

Sam Hughes just keeps on scoring. Seems like they could do with him back at Saltash.

See that Bridgwater parted company with their joint managers today. They almost made it to September. Wonder how many managers they will have gone through when he texts you in 6 months time.😁

Officially, Jack Crago is on a month's loan at Helston which began on August 9th. Unofficially, I expect they want to keep him beyond this (Matt Cusack hinted as much on the CS podcast). What are people's thoughts on George Newton? Was very highly rated when playing for Truro's under 18's and reserves, but doesn't seem to have got going at Tavi, Blazey or Helston.

I'll leave it to others to say if that is because the general standard has levelled up or downwards, but it would be great going into the last month with several teams involved . A very short, 30 game league season doesn't leave much margin for error if you have a spell of poor results though.

Owen Howe has got an upcoming suspension from his recent straight red card versus Falmouth. Because of the strange way these things work, I would expect to see him playing for St Austell a bit more in the next few weeks. Don't think Levi Landricombe has been playing elsewhere in the opening month of the season, not sure of his fitness these days. Regarding River Allen, pretty sure he had signed at step 5 for Ivybridge, obviously a pretty quick transfer.

The closest comparison in Cornwall is probably the Cornish Pirates. Playing in the 2nd tier of English club rugby union, their average attendances over the last 3 seasons have been around the 1500-1600 mark. Truro City would be probably be very happy with that.

Penzance.