Bottom-of-the-table Truro City face a stern examination against mid-table Hartlepool this Saturday, with the visitors looking to bounce back from consecutive home defeats against a side that has struggled to keep the ball out of their net all season. Truro sit rock-bottom of the National League with just 25 points from 36 games, and their recent form offers little hope of a revival. The Cornish side have won just once in their last ten outings (1-2-7), conceding 17 goals in that stretch while keeping zero clean sheets. Their home record is particularly alarming – they've lost 75% of their last four at home, shipping two goals per game on average. Recent home defeats to fellow strugglers Gateshead (1-2) and Braintree (2-3) demonstrate that Truro are vulnerable even against the division's weaker sides, while a 0-2 reverse against Woking and 1-2 loss to Gateshead highlight their inability to defend their own patch. The only bright spot in an otherwise miserable run was a spirited 1-1 draw at playoff-chasing Southend, followed by a competitive 2-3 defeat to Braintree where they at least found the net twice. However, scoring just 0.8 goals per game over the last ten while conceding 1.7 tells its own story – this is a team being outclassed weekly. Hartlepool arrive in 9th place with 51 points, a full 26 points ahead of their hosts. While their form has been patchy lately (4-2-4 in last ten), including back-to-back home losses to FC Halifax (0-1) and Sutton United (0-2), their away record shows they can trouble defenses. The Pools have scored 1.75 goals per game on their travels in the last four, including a thrilling 4-3 victory at Solihull Moors and a 3-1 demolition of playoff hopefuls Carlisle. The head-to-head record offers little comfort for Truro either – the only meeting this season ended in a 3-1 Hartlepool victory back in November. With goal expectancies suggesting Hartlepool should find the net nearly twice (1.88 xG) against a defense conceding 2.0 per game at home, the visitors look well-placed to take all three points. **Key Points:** • Truro have lost 7 of their last 10 games and are winless in their last 4 home matches (0-1-3) • Hartlepool have beaten playoff-chasing Carlisle (3-1) and Solihull Moors (4-3 away) in recent weeks, showing they can perform against better sides than Truro • Truro have kept 0 clean sheets in their last 10 games, conceding in every match • Hartlepool's away games average 3.5 total goals (1.75 scored, 1.75 conceded) • The 26-point gap between 9th and 24th place is significant – Truro have won just 6 games all season compared to Hartlepool's 13 Despite Hartlepool's recent stutter, the gulf in class is too substantial to ignore. Truro's inability to defend at home against teams like Gateshead and Braintree suggests Hartlepool's attacking quality should prove decisive. At 1.91, the away win represents solid value in a fixture where the league table doesn't lie.