Truro 'struggling' after Braintree loss - Askey

Truro City have failed to score in their past three league games

Truro City manager John Askey admitted his side are "struggling" as they slumped to a third successive National League loss without scoring.

The Tinners were beaten 2-0 by relegation rivals Braintree Town in Essex on Saturday and remain bottom of the table, four points from safety.

Truro have lost 13 of their 19 games in the fifth tier, having last earned a point and scored a goal in their 2-2 draw at Gateshead last month.

"We're struggling at the moment," Askey told BBC Radio Cornwall after the loss.

"We were second best in midfield, we didn't pick up second balls, we didn't win first balls and we didn't retain possession when we got it.

"I thought for the first 20 minutes we were OK, but the longer the game went on, we struggled.

"It's tough at the moment and I said to players 'it's going to be really tough now'.

"We've got to somehow dig in and get a result sooner rather than later, because if we don't, we'll become adrift if we're not already."

The results are all the more frustrating for Truro amid a run of games against teams nearer to them in the table after a difficult start to the season against some of the top sides in the league.

"Prior to going into those games we were improving and everybody was optimistic," Askey added. "In the past, when we needed to get results, we've done that.

"But since the Solihull game we've been lacklustre and we've got to try and get a bit more zip about us and compete better than we are doing at the moment."