Match report

Player ratings and comments now on line

Tranmere 2 v 1 Swansea City

The last week has been like turning the clock back twenty odd years with the Swans at the centre of the footballing world. Newspapers, radio and television all taking an interest.

The tension has been building all week, nowhere more than in the Gigg household. We had received an email from a member of the Dutch-video film crew earlier in the week, wishing the Swans the best of luck.

We set of at 9.15 for the near four-hour trek across Wales. Our first visit to Tranmere and struck by the affluent area in which the ground is situated (well compared to the Vetch anyway!)

The streets and pubs were awash with Swansea fans kitted out in their Trundle masks. After sausage and chips we made our way into the ground. Prenton Park is a nice little all-seater with one entire stand behind the goal allocated to the Swans fans.

All the talk amongst the fans was whether Izzy or Kris O'Leary would partner Alan Tate, and would Trundle really be left to plough a lone furrow in front of a midfield of five. Whilst tactic eventually worked against Preston in round four, for eighty-minutes, Lee Trundle was often isolated.

When the side was announced, as it was predicted in last night's Evening Post, with Izzy preferred to O'Leary. Karl Connolly and Lenny Johnrose were out with injuries.

Tranmere woke from their early slumber, and on eight minutes Welshman Gareth Roberts put over a cross which saw Tate and Iriekpen both leaving the marking on Eugene Dadi to the other. Thankfully Dadi's header went wide.

For the first fifteen minutes both teams created openings with Swansea just about edging things.

It was no surprise on sixteen minutes when after some good work, again on the right, Britton's cross found Robinson, who stretching, did well to keep the ball down in firing the ball and fired it home.

You can imagine the reaction of the 2,400 Swansea fans... absolute pandemonium. The goal also bought the first tears of the day to the Gigg girls.

Swans were keeping a tight rein on things at this stage with Alan Tate outstanding up against the awkward Dadi, and Britton supporting Trundle well and causing Tranmere all sorts of problems down the right.

The referee Mr Beebby seemed keen to bring Tranmere back into the game with some extraordinary decisions. However, I felt he had no choice with the penalty he awarded Tranmere on twenty-two minutes when Michael Howard standing behind Dadi at the far post, needlessly pushed him in the back with Izzy in position to defend the cross.

Ryan Taylor made no mistake with the penalty, sending Roger the wrong way.

Swans picked themselves up from the disappointment well, and Maylett had a great chance to either cross for Trundle or shoot, when bearing down on goal from the right. Unfortunately he did neither, sending a cross/shot equidistant from the goal and Trundle.

Tranmere probably had the majority of the remainder of the half, without ever looking like scoring. Gareth Roberts was their main source of attack with crosses from the left wing all looking for the head of Dadi.

Swans had defended well with only one or two scares, but whilst we had caused problems down the right, Trundle was as expected far too isolated and balls played up to him were often played at head height despite his constant protestations that he wanted the ball at chest height or into feet.

Swans almost had a dream start to the second half. On forty-eight minutes Martinez floated a perfect pass through to Coates who with only the keeper to beat totally missed the ball. The pass was dropping over his right shoulder and rather than hit his shot with his right foot from only ten yards, he chose to let the ball fall across his body and tried desperately to connect with his left while barely able to keep his balance. Why oh why can not professional footballers be proficient with two feet?

He redeemed himself within minutes with a headed clearance off his own line with Roger beaten and Coates was involved again down the other end with another 30 seconds or so breaking clear towards the penalty area only to be pulled down by Tranmere's full-back Connolly. Andy Robinson's shot was only inches wide of the post with the resultant free kick.

The game was becoming more and more open but the danger signs were evident as Swans started to lose control of the midfield despite the man advantage in this area.

Tranmere almost took the lead on fifty-seven minutes when Gary Jones fired a low shot which Roger did well to save with his feet. Gareth Roberts followed up but thankfully hit a strong left footed drive over the bar.

The relief was short-lived as two minutes later Iain Hume collected a throw in drifted around a couple of defenders before hitting a fantastic left footed shot from twenty-five yards. Whilst it is easy to be critical of defenders, watching this goal was something special.

Following the goal Swansea had their worst ten minutes of the game, and Tranmere could easily have added to their advantage.

Swansea replaced Jonathan Coates with Kevin Nugent to finally give some much needed support up front.

On around seventy minutes Izzy Iriekpen found himself in the centre forward role but hit a defenders shot well wide with a left foot volley. Finally the Swans were stepping up the pace and on seventy-two minutes a Leon Britton shot appeared goal-bound before Tranmere keeper Jon Achterberg dived full length to turn the ball around for a corner.

On eighty-minutes Andy Robinson was booked for a poor challenge and he almost became embroiled in an unsavoury incident after being confronted by a Tranmere player.

James Thomas replaced Michael Howard leaving the Swans with a 3-4-3 formation; this was to become 2-4-3 within two minutes when Alan Tate saw red.

Ryan Taylor broke down a Swansea attack deep in his own half and as he raced forward Alan Tate put an arm across Taylor's chest to prevent his progress only for Taylor to play the ball forward with Swansea's defence in total disarray.

Incredibly, Mr Beebby blew up to the dismay of the Tranmere players, he then compounded his original mistake by showing Tate a red card. A shameful decision for what was no more than obstruction in the opponents half.

The last few minutes saw Tranmere holding out in the corners and the Swans trying to get the ball forward at 100 mph. Although the Swans continued to create, and Trundle had a shot just wide, Tranmere really should have added to their one goal lead against a 2-man defence of Iriekpen and O'Leary who had replaced Byrne for the last 10 minutes.

At the final whistle the Swans supporters gave the players a great ovation for a battling performance.

Today just wasn't our day.



Freestone - 7 - No chance with goals, a couple of good saves but distribution far too slow, and with only Trundle up-front kicking the ball high all the time wasn't the greatest of tactics.

Byrne - 7 - Improvement on first game, but still looks like junior partner in defence which is surprising with his pedigree.
Iriekpen - 6 - Played second fiddle to Tate today.
Tate - 8 - Outstanding against a real handful in Eugene Dadi. Desperately unlucky to be shown a red card which will surely be overturned.
Howard - 6 - Single handedly allowed Tranmere back into the game with a needless push on Dadi. All too often makes costly mistakes in big games. His inclusion ahead of Hylton continues to mystify.

Maylett - 7 - Decent game but control let his down once or twice.
Britton - 8 - Superb display, tired in the last ten minutes or so.
Martinez - 7 - Started slowly but solid as a rock second half.
Robinson - 7 - Took his goal well and seemed desperate to do well today. Probably tried too hard at times, and do things on his own with colleagues in better positions.
Coates - 6 - Missed a great opportunity to put Swansea in front and a minute later saves our bacon. Still very much an enigma.

Trundle - 6 - Lacked support and Tranmere had obviously done their homework on him.


Subs:
Nugent - 6 - Won a few headers but offered little else.
Thomas - 6 - Didn't make much of a difference.
O'Leary - 6 - Given the impossible job of covering right-back and centre-half for the last five minutes.

Tranmere 2 v 1 Swansea City

To the game, a crowd of 12,200 with 2,500 filling the away end

The line up of 4-5-1

As far as open play was concerned we gave as good as wegot, defending well, if in some cases with the bounce of the ball. Whilstthings looked as if we could make half time with the lead intact Martinezhesitated on the right hand corner of our area, he was dispossessed allowingTranmere to cross towards the penalty spot. A mixture of a Tranmere playerbacking into Howard and Iriekpen blocking the path to goal saw the Tranmereplayer go down and the ref blow for a penalty. With the away fans doingeverything to put the Tranmere player off coming to nothing as Rog went oneway but the ball the other 1-1. Whilst the Tranmere players celebrated,Trundle was booked by the ref.

So half time chat was a mixture of we had done well, but Tranmere had hadthe clearer of the chances.The second half saw the Swans under pressure as they seemed to take time toget back into the rhythm Whilst not up to Premiership class the game waskeenly contested with a few lunging tackles as both teams new that the gamewas very important to both clubs especially the financial gains ofprogression.

There came the usual period when the Swans sat back allowingTranmere a very good ten minutes when we didn’t get out of our half. Acouple of long-range efforts were blocked but we hadn’t learned as Hume senta net buster into the goal before Rog could move. Coates was replaced ByNugent and later Howard by Thomas to look for the equaliser. As we wentforward Tranmere looked increasingly dangerous on the counter attack. Oneglorious chance to level the scores came as Iriekpen found himself on theend of a through ball with only the keeper to beat.

The result was a wildswing slicing the ball for a throw in. As time was running out Tate went ona run up field. The move was broken up but he carried on making an attemptedchallenge on their right back. A bit clumsy but the ref went straight forthe red. Even the Tranmere players looked bemused. That seemed our lastchance gone. O’Leary replaced Byrne to bolster the defence as we pushedforward. Trundle who had had a quiet game with normally three playersmarking him, worked a bit of magic, to put a cross across goal inside thesix yard box only to see it go wide of the far post with both Nugent andThomas slow following in.

That was it as the ref blew to end an entertaining game with us on the wrong side of 1-2 Whilst all the team played above their recent form a few Notes.

Roger had very few saves to make, apart from one with his feet, as thedefence was wide open.
Coates had a very good game before being replaced, being in defence midfield and on one occasion the furthest forward as he tried a gentle flick past thekeeper.
The back four battled well but individually and at times not as a unit.
Martinez has skill but also must find row Z (The first goal)
Robinson, whilst being our midfield engine was lucky on a couple of occasions not to get a 2nd yellow.
Iriekpen has to steady himself as with the chance on goal does slice a few clearances.
Maylett has lost all confidence. After his loan spell last season we were not impressed to see him return. We thought he was proving us wrong with a couple of good performances early in the season, but today didn’t look interested.
Trundle totally marked out of the game by the three centre backs.
Thomas & Nugent didn’t put themselves about in the area, when it had got to desperation point.

The above comments seem critical for what was a battling performance.Tranmere deserved the win, due to being not necessarily more skilful, butwere fitter and faster in thought.We now need to carry the commitment shown into the league games. OK were out of the cup, but yet again MASSIVE support from the fans.

One last comment The Ref. Not the reason we are out, but some of his decisions favoured thehome team and twice got in the way of one defensive clearance and one good attacking position.

Would you like your match report printed here? Email it to the site straight after the match.

Click here to return to the main page.