425

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    Form 8-K

                                 Current Report
                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                       Securities and Exchange Act of 1934

                          Date of Report: May 25, 2005


                       Citizens South Banking Corporation
                       ----------------------------------
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)



         Delaware                       0-23971                  54-2069979
- ----------------------------     ------------------------     ----------------
(State or other jurisdiction     (Commission File Number)     (I.R.S. Employer
      of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


519 South New Hope Road, Gastonia, North Carolina             28054-4040
- ---------------------------------------------------         -------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                      (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 704-868-5200

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[X] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR
    230.425)

[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR
    240.14a-12)

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange
    Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange
    Act (CFR 240.13e-4(c))










Item 1.01         Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement
                  ------------------------------------------

         On May 25, 2005, Citizens South Banking Corporation ("Citizens South")
announced that it had entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the
"Agreement") to acquire Trinity Bank, a North Carolina chartered bank located in
Monroe, North Carolina. Under the terms of the Agreement, Citizens South will
issue a combination of shares of common stock and cash with a total value of
approximately $35.5 million. The transaction is subject to the approval of
Trinity Bank's shareholders and applicable regulatory authorities.

         The text of the press release announcing the execution of the Agreement
is included as Exhibit 99(a) to this report. The information included in the
text of the press release is considered to be "furnished" under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. The Company will provide the required pro forma financial
statements in a Current Report on Form 8-K at a later date.

Item 9.01         Financial Statements and Exhibits
                  ---------------------------------

99       Additional Exhibits:

         (a)      Joint Press Release Dated May 25, 2005








                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                           CITIZENS SOUTH BANKING CORPORATION



DATE:  May 25, 2005                    By: /s/ Kim S. Price
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Kim S. Price
                                           President and Chief Executive Officer


                                       By: /s/ Gary F. Hoskins
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Gary F. Hoskins
                                           Chief Financial Officer

EX-99

                                  EXHIBIT 99(a)





Citizens South
Banking Corporation                                      Trinity Bank

Contact:                                                 Contact:

Kim S. Price                                             David C. McGuirt
President and Chief Executive Officer                    Chief Executive Officer
(704) 884-2260                                           (704) 296-0100

Gary F. Hoskins                                          Dennis O. Livingston
Chief Financial Officer                                  President
(704) 884-2263                                           (704) 296-0100

                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                                                    May 25, 2005
Citizens South Banking Corp. to Acquire Trinity Bank

         Gastonia, NC. - Citizens South Banking Corporation ("Citizens South")
[NASDAQ: CSBC] and Trinity Bank ("Trinity") [Bulletin Board: TYBN.OB] today
jointly announced the signing of a definitive agreement for the merger of
Trinity into Citizens South subsidiary Citizens South Bank. The merger marks
Citizens South's entry into Union County, the 19th fastest growing county in the
United States and the fastest growing county in North Carolina.

         Giving effect to the merger on a pro forma basis, Citizens South will
become one of the largest community banks serving the Charlotte Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA), with $684 million in assets, $432 million in loans, $497
million in deposits and $86 million in equity. The combined bank will have 14
full-service locations and one loan production office, and will rank 8th in the
Charlotte MSA in deposit market share and 5th in Union County.

         Under the terms of the merger agreement, Citizens South will issue a
combination of common stock and cash for the outstanding common shares of
Trinity. Trinity shareholders will be given the option of receiving 1.3931
shares of Citizens South common stock for each share of Trinity common stock,
$18.25 in cash for each share of Trinity common stock, or a mixture of stock and
cash for each Trinity share, such that 50% of the shares of Trinity common stock
will be exchanged for Citizens South common stock. Based on merger consideration
of $18.25 per share, the total transaction value is approximately $35.5 million.
The transaction price represents 255% of Trinity's book value as of March 31st.

         "We are extremely excited to forge this partnership with Trinity Bank,"
noted Kim S. Price, President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens South.
"Trinity has created a powerful franchise by serving individuals and small- and
mid-sized businesses in the Charlotte area. Our capital base will enable Trinity
to better serve its longstanding





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May 25, 2005

relationships and compete for new, larger relationships brought about by the
growth of Union County. It is a compelling combination."

         "We are pleased to be joining Citizens South," said David C. McGuirt,
Chief Executive Officer of Trinity Bank. "This transaction provides our
shareholders with significant immediate value, as well as the opportunity to
participate as a shareholder in a larger, growing community bank organization.
We consider this a terrific partnership for our shareholders, employees and
community."

         As part of the agreement, one member of Trinity's Board of Directors
will be added to the Board of Directors of Citizens South. The merger is subject
to customary conditions, including the approval of Trinity shareholders and
applicable regulatory authorities. The stock portion of the consideration to
Trinity shareholders is expected to qualify as a tax-free transaction. The
merger is anticipated to close in the fourth quarter of 2005, and is expected to
be accretive to earnings per share within the first full year of combined
operations.

         Citizens South Banking Corporation is the parent corporation for
Citizens South Bank, which was established in 1904 and is headquartered in
Gastonia, North Carolina. The Bank has eleven full-service banking offices
located in the Central Piedmont region of North Carolina. At March 31, 2005,
Citizens South had assets of $511.1 million, loans of $324.6 million, deposits
of $372.1 million, and stockholders' equity of $69.5 million. Market makers
include Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co., Inc., Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.,
Ryan Beck & Co., Inc., Morgan Stanley, Moors & Cabot, Inc., and Goldman, Sachs &
Co.

         Trinity Bank is the newest community bank in Union County. It was
organized by local citizens, business and community leaders in 1999 to provide
hometown banking services in North Carolina's fastest growing county. A
state-chartered financial institution, Trinity Bank is an Equal Housing Lender
and Member FDIC. The bank operates three full-service offices located in Monroe,
Stallings and Weddington, North Carolina. All Trinity Bank locations offer
full-service banking to individuals, families, and businesses in the Bank's
primary market of Union and Mecklenburg counties.

         Citizens South will file a registration statement, a proxy
statement/prospectus and other relevant documents concerning the proposed
transaction with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and Trinity
will file the proxy statement/prospectus and other documents with the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC"). Shareholders are urged to read the
registration statement and the proxy statement/prospectus when it becomes
available and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC and the FDIC, as
well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, because they will
contain important information. Trinity shareholders will be able to obtain

                                     (more)



Page 3
May 25, 2005

a free copy of the proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings
containing information about Trinity Bank, by directing a request to Trinity
Bank, P.O. Box 5044, Monroe, North Carolina 28111, telephone (704) 296-0100,
Attention: Charla Kurtz. In addition, copies of the registration statement,
including the joint proxy statement/prospectus, may be obtained without charge
through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, or by contacting Citizens South at
P.O. Box 2249, Gastonia, North Carolina 28053-2249, Attention: Corporate
Secretary

         The respective directors and executive officers of Trinity Bank and
other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in
respect of the proposed transaction. Information regarding Trinity Bank's
directors and executive officers is available in its proxy statement dated April
1, 2005 filed with the FDIC by Trinity Bank, which is available from Trinity
Bank at the address provided above. Other information regarding the interests of
participants in the proxy solicitation will be contained in the proxy
statement/prospectus to be filed with the SEC and the FDIC when it becomes
available.

         This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding
Citizens South Banking Corporation, Citizens South Bank and Trinity Bank that
involve significant risks and uncertainties, including changes in general
economic and financial market conditions and the ability of each company to
execute its respective business plans. Forward-looking statements give current
expectations or forecasts of future events and are not guarantees of future
performance. Such forward-looking statements are based on management
expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties and, although
management for each company, respectively, believes the expectations reflected
in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results may differ
materially from such statements. Neither Citizens South Banking Corporation,
Citizens South Bank nor Trinity Bank can give any assurance that the acquisition
of Trinity Bank by Citizens South will be consummated, or if consummated, that
any expectations relating thereto will be realized. Factors that could affect
whether the transaction is completed include the satisfaction or waiver of a
number of conditions, including obtaining clearances from regulatory authorities
and Trinity Bank shareholders. Due to these uncertainties and risks, you are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which
speak only as of the date of this news release. Except as provided by federal
securities laws, neither Citizens South Banking Corporation, Citizens South Bank
nor Trinity Bank is required to publicly update or revise any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Additional information regarding each company concerning factors that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the
forward-looking statements is available in each company's Annual Report on Form
10-K or Form 10-KSB, as applicable, for the year ended December 31, 2004, and
subsequent filings with the SEC or the FDIC, as applicable. These filings are
available at no cost from each of the respective companies. In

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Page 4
May 25, 2005

addition, the filings with the SEC are available on the SEC's website at
www.sec.gov.

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