Hartlepool 0-0 Tranmere
Tranmere earned themselves a third consecutive clean sheet on the road and a fifth in their last seven games as they drew 0-0 with Hartlepool in the North East.
Rovers made two changes from the 0-0 draw with Bournemouth as they switched to 3-5-2, brining Steven O'Leary and Steven Jennings in for Sam Aiston and Mark Rankine.
The game didn't start well for Tranmere, as three players all sustained injuries in the first twenty-five minutes.
Firstly, 'keeper Dino Seremet recieved a head injury following a punch from Wrexham Reject Chris Llewellyn which the referee missed.
Then Steven O'Leary was stretchered off with a head injury after a collision with Seremet, O'Leary, making his first start since returning on-loan to Tranmere was replaced by Mark Rankine.
Then, finally, Mike Jackson got a blow to the head and had to change shirts and have a bandage wrapped round his head.
Hartlepool started the brightest and if anybody was going to break the deadlock, it would be them.
Indeed, they did get the ball in the net on 22-minutes, James Walker thinking he'd put Hartlepool in the lead.
Walker chipped the ball over Seremet in the Rovers goal but was rightly judged offside, which the travelling 210 Rovers fans found particually funny.
Tranmere began to come into the game around the point when Jackson returned with his head bandaged up and they had the next really chance on goal.
After some good passing and moving with the ball kept to the ground, where Rovers are best with it, Simon Francis whipped in a fast cross from the right, with Calvin Zola, not really having enough time to react, heading the ball over.
Francis himself had a shot minutes later, but it was nothing to worry Dimi Konstantopolous as the ball sailed well over the bar.
Zola then had another header, again from a Francis cross, but the tall striker headed wide instead of over on this occassion.
Then Greenacre had a chance, but managed to hit the ball perfectly down one of the entrances to the stand after Danny Harrison had flicked the ball on.
Rovers went in 0-0 at half time, which pleased a majority of the travelling fans. Although they hadn't scored, they hadn't conceeded which was good in itself. Rovers had defended stubbornly and had not let anything slip past them, to their credit.
The back three of Sharps, Goodison and Jackson had done particually well, winning nearly every tackle and header, whilst the wing backs Francis and Roberts provided useful outlets for their defenders and also had defended to great effect.
The second half started much as the first had ended, with Rovers having the best of the chances, first through Danny Harrison (goal machine).
However, unfortunatly for the midfielder, it wasn't to be three in four games as he curled his effort just wide of the right hand post from a Steven Jennings pass.
Rovers had the next chance too, as they piled on the pressure.
Konstantopolous' clearence was blocked by Rovers' leading scorer Chris Greenacre and the ball fell to the advancing Gareth Roberts.
Roberts had a clear goal to shoot at, albeit from a very tight angle. However, the left-wing-back had a go and his shot was headed on to the post and out for a Rovers corner, although it was a great effort and the closest Rovers were to come to a goal in the game.
Roberts had another attempt minutes later but this time the Hartlepool defence was untroubled as his free-kick went clear of the cross bar.
At this point, Brian Little decided to shake it about, bringing off Calvin Zola, who had been booked for no apparent reason minutes earlier, and replacing him with Delroy Facey.
The next action saw another Rovers player get booked, this time Ian Goodison. The Jamaican international lunged in on Hartlepool debutant Jon Paul-Pittman earned him a booking, and also a suspension, as it was his fifth Yellow Card of the season, meaning he will miss next Saturday's clash with high-flying Southend at Prenton Park.
Cards were being thrown everywhere now, as Welsh-man Llewellyn was given a straight red card for a disgusting two-footed lunge on captain Mike Jackson which angered all of the Rovers players and managing staff (except Gareth Roberts) as a 18 man scuffle followed.
Greenacre and Jennings had the next efforts on goal, as first Greenacre again followed to trouble the 'keeper and then Jennings had a low, hard volley blocked by a combination of around three Hartlepool players.
Hartlepool then put on a bit of pressure for the first time in the second half but failed to score as Pittman shot high over the goal and all of Hartlepool's remaining efforts were blocked by the strong Rovers defence.
With nine minutes remaining, Sam Aiston replaced the tiring Danny Harrison but barely got a touch of the ball. Rovers failed to get another shot on goal as the scoreline remained 0-0.
The game really should be viewed as a point gained. Rovers were perhaps unlucky not to score but Hartlepool often just put bodies in the area which made it very difficult for Rovers to score.
Rovers defence was outstanding, resisting everything that was thrown at it. Infact, all round Rovers were very good defensively, from the defence to the midfield. All the midfield chipped in with handy tackles, it was just their link up play with the front men which was missing.
However, Rovers maybe could be critisized for their shooting, or lack of it, from outside the area. On a number of occasions Danny Harrison and Steven Jennings found themselves with some space on the edge of the area but either decided to take that extra touch or pass when they really should have shot.
Jones' Man Of The Match: I would have five contestants, all from the defence. However, I feel Simon Francis wins it out-right today. He was a brilliant wing-back, who chugged up and down the right hand side all match. A number of crosses would be followed by him defending on his own 18-yard box. His trickery on the wing too was brilliant and his defensive game was it's usual high standard.
