| RANGERS RUN ROVERS RAGGED
Rangers bounced
back from the Port Vale debacle with a vastly improved performance
and must count themselves unlucky not to have won the game. Tranmere
came for a point and had it not been for some generous luck and some
last ditch blocks, they wouldn't even have got that.
Changes were inevitable after Tuesday
night and everybody hoped that the main villains of the piece,
Palmer and Barton, would make way. Luckily they did as Holloway
showed his ruthless streak. Day was in goal behind a back four of
Edghill, Forbes, Carlisle and Padula. Ainsworth returned to the
starting eleven in place of Bean to join Rowlands, Bircham and
McLeod. With Furlong failing to come through a fitness test prior to
kick off Thorpe and Gallen kept their places.
The game got off to the worst possible
start with Tranmere taking the lead with their only shot on target
of the half. A long ball fell toward Gino and he was clearly fouled
by Haworth although rookie ref Wright missed this. Whilst the left
back tried to regain his balance, Haworth pounced to slot into the
far corner.
Everybody immediately began to think
the worst as this echoed the start at Vale. Slowly though Rangers
started to get a foothold in the game and go looking for an
equaliser. Martin Rowlands had been deployed in centre midfield and
he was getting on the ball as often as possible and looking to work
Tranmere's defensive line. Rowlands managed to jink his way into the
box only to drag a left footed effort well wide when he surely had
far more time to compose himself.
Thorpe and Gallen soon went close for
Rangers as crosses started to rain in from all angles. Firstly
Thorpe rose to meet an Edghill cross only to steer wide and a minute
later Gallen did the same from a Padula ball from the opposite
flank. Forbes was the next man to sling the ball in having advanced
well from centre half. This time the ball evaded everybody including
the onrushing McLeod. Despite the pressure there was still a nervous
air around the ground and the usual whingers were starting to have
their say every time a pass was misplaced.
Edghill was getting some stick after
slicing one into the crowd. I am not sure what people expect from
Div2 full backs but if they were better than this they would play at
a higher level. If people think he was bad then they should have
been at Port vale to see Barton, he makes Edgy look like Cafu!
Referee Wright showed an unbelievably
harsh yellow card to Forbes as the half entered its final ten
minutes. Haworth picked up the ball near halfway only for Forbes to
hit him with a thunderous challenge taking ball and all. Perfectly
timed and not in any way malicious but seemingly worthy of a
caution. Football has entered the realms of madness if even
challenges like this are now being outlawed.
Edghill and Day confused each other
shortly after to allow Iain Hume a sight of goal. Luckily Forbes was
alert and the danger was quickly snuffed out. Rangers then hit the
woodwork at the School End for the fifth time this season as
Tranmere failed to deal with Gino's corner. The ball bounced up and
Thorpe swivelled to send a volley against the base of the post. The
ball was cleared for another corner and from this one Thorpe again
shot only to see this one hacked off of the line.
Rangers were back on terms minutes
into the second half as Kevin Gallen struck to silence some of his
cyber critics. Kevin McLeod launched a lung-bursting break down the
left only to see the ball nudged out for a throw. Gino found the
feet of Thorpe at the near post and he turned neatly to tee up
Gallen who shot into the far corner past the time wasting
Achterberg.
The game was now on and Rangers
started to pour forward looking for another goal to stamp their
authority on the game. Martin Rowlands won a freekick on the edge of
the box but could only slam the kick into the wall.
Gallen and Thorpe went close again
when they were both denied by last-ditch challenges. Thorpe seemed
to have struck his shot sweetly and Achterberg had already given it
up when Allen dived in to deny him. The ball eventually found its
way outside the area only for Edghill to drill it wide.
Tranmere had to respond and they
brought on Eugene Dadi to pep up their attack. The huge Frenchman
began to cause a few more headaches for the outstanding Forbes and
Carlisle and he forced Day into a save, his only one of the second
half, after he managed to get a shot away from distance. Rowlands
had another effort from a freekick soon after but again this hit the
wall and ran away for a corner.
Chances were coming and going before
you could catch your breath and Thorpe was once more in the thick of
the action. He won a corner with some quick feet and then headed
Gino's kick over the bar from six yards. This was his last
involvement as Holloway took off him and Ainsworth and brought on
Sabin and Pacquette in a last desperate throw of the dice. Sabin in
particular caused problems with his pace from the off and certainly
gave Gareth Roberts a few things to think about.
Rowlands went agonisingly close as the
game entered injury time as he cut in from the right a sent a
curling effort wide of Achterberg and just past the far post. Then
Bircham went just as close in equally spectacular fashion. Edghill
swung in another cross and the midfielder got up to send in a
bicycle kick that grazed the upright. Not exactly Pele in Escape to
Victory but not far away!
At the final whistle blew the moronic
minority booed the team but I look at it as one of those games where
we couldn't have done much more than we did. I think it may have
been different had Furs been fit but that is not to detract from
Thorpe and Gallen who both had fine games.
In defence the returning Carlisle was
in imperious form and he has an able partner in Forbes who is more
than capable of keeping that position warm until Big Dan is back.
The centre of midfield though was where I was most impressed as
Bircham and Rowlands seemed to spark off of each other, with the
latter being my Man of the Match. Beany must be worried about his
place having seen these two combine so well from the off.
Manchester City will be a welcome
distraction from our slightly scratchy league form and no doubt a
good performance in that game will set us up well for what may be a
tricky encounter against Stockport County next Saturday.
simon@qprnet.com |
