Tranmere Rovers 2-0 Port Vale
The near delirium that has gripped Vale over the past ten days was treated with a sharp anaesthetic last night as we slipped ever closer to the abyss of the old Division four.
And yet it all began so well. For five whole minutes there was only one team in this game as Vale swamped Tranmere with enterprising, free-flowing football in ferocious conditions. Unfortunately we didn’t really ever look like scoring. Nothing really tested the Tranmere keeper, and once again we were left wandering if Marc Richards would ever score for Vale.
Once our early pressure had blown itself out Tranmere took charge of proceedings. They passed the ball better, had far more idea’s and precision going forward and were by far the brighter side. Only some desperate defending, particularly from Jason Talbot, kept us level in the first half – although it has to be said that we by and large did a good job of frustrating our promotion-chasing hosts.
The second half began in the same way the first ended. Tranmere carried the threat, Vale continued to dig in. As the half dragged on we began looking more and more ragged – passes going astray, chances beginning increasingly few and far between.
Tranmere finally took the lead mid-way through the half through a Chris Greenacre (pictured above ) penalty. Paul Edwards had thrown himself into a ridiculous challenge, and the ref quite rightly pointed to the spot. The hapless Edwards was withdrawn immediately afterwards, after giving us yet another frustrating display.
Our search for an equaliser was fruitless. It just wasn’t happening for us in the final third, which led to Lee Sinnott making the surprising decision of replacing Luke Rodgers with Glover. Vale played the last fifteen minutes with three strikers yet to score in senior football this season, and that statistic never looked like altering.
Tranmere could have added a second from the penalty spot after Jason Talbot’s desperate lunge – however Greenacre was denied by a fine save from Anyon.
Tranmere wrapped up proceedings with three minutes left on the clock, a simple move rounded off with an easy goal.
Vale entertain fellow relegation no-hoper’s Gillingham on Monday – an absolute must win for The Gills, meaningless for us.
The problem lies in midfield. Whitaker, Hulbert, Howlands and Edwards. League 2 standard all of them. What options do we have there right now? Harsley is no better than any of those four, Cardle is obviously not showing enough in reserve games and Shane Tudor has been a bad joke.
This was always going to be a difficult game, Tranmere are up there in the play-off positions. Lets not be too hard on the team.
too late you are down and probably where before this one but good night and good luckm next season