Tranmere 2-2 Cheltenham

[Joe_TRFC]

Poor Performance although it did get better in the 2nd half by the sounds of it. First half sounded dreadful and we were 2-0 down at half time and it could have been four or five. Second half was improved but Cheltenham still cut us apart a few times and hit the bar twice. Maybe our poor defending could be put down to Goodison being unfit and playing a left sided player at right back? Carl Tremarco limped off and now looks doubtful for Saturday so that makes Sherriff the only definite available defender! :shock: Anyway second half we fought back and got the two goals to get us a point. Shuker scored what sounded like a great goal to get us back in the game early in the second half and then after great work from Zola he crossed it in near post and Greenacre equalised with a diving header in the 90th minute. Quite fitting that we should comeback on the 6th anniversary of the Southampton 4-3 FA Cup game.

 

[Ian]

We were lucky tonight. Very lucky.

Cheltenham should have wrapped that game up easily.
The first half was a shambles. I can't remember one good thing coming from it. It was dreadful..

Second half improved, and we did get two goals, but.. Cheltenham should have had at least another two. Goodison was about 50% fit, Ward is getting worse with every game and I'm just glad for Zola having made the equalizing goal.

Ronnie's going to really struggle now, and I guess you can only play for so long with a small squad until it really starts to hurt. We'll have next to no defence against Orient as it stands.

Odejayi was proving a really handful and we couldn't cope.
Our defence and midfield was poor. Greenacre tried as he always does but was ineffective in the first half due to him playing wide on the left bizarrely. So in effect, our forward line was non-existent.

But a bit of skill from Shuker certainly made the second half a much better one to watch and as the rain lashed down with only a few minutes to go, the mighty Zola fought his way to the line, whipped in a great cross for Greenacre to head home. Brilliant!

Ohh and finally. I don't normally mention officials, but I thought the referee and linesman were dreadful tonight. Cheltenhams second goal looked suspiciously offside and we should have had a foul a min before that goal.

The referee gave us nothing all night and the linesmen were 30 seconds behind the play.. #-o

But I think we've done well to get a point out of that game.
Cheltenham will however be pig-sick after conceding so late in the game.

 

[nomur]

We have some consolation.....

Swansea lost to Scunny tonight which puts 5 points between us and 7th place. And with Oldham losing tonight there's only 5 points between us and 2nd place right now.

Every cloud.....

I'm not excusing the performance tonight, but we're very lucky to be in such a tight situation in the top 6. Scunny are starting to pull away up top but there's nothing between 2nd to 6th.

We need 3 points against Orient this weekend to be still in with a shout. Yeovil play Swansea this which helps whatever the result.

 

[Super_white_army]

Well if I was asked if I would be happy with a draw at home to Cheltenham I would have said no. If I was offered 7 points from 3 games including Donny and Yeovilwould have said yes so in the grand scheme I am happy. However in retrospect a win would have put us a win of Autos so that is a real chance missed. Nice to see Shuker scored again and nice that Grenny got onthe sheet. I am very worried about the forth coming fixture with our whittle defence but RM took that risk at the start of the season and he has to make it work.

 

[The Golden Aldo Era]

Rite now seriously guys, we are so heavily depleated as a squad how the hell can u lot be saying 'oh well we played poor, Cheltenham deserved to win' blaa blaa blaa cummon were 6th in the table, 12months ago we wer staring relegation down the barrel and 24months ago enthusiasm was sky high, rovers haven't been this close to possible promotion or even automatic for a while, were playing superb football in comparison to last season and even the great season before, lets really stop going on about lucky scrapes and undeserved this that and the other, if your a true Rovers fan then lets be hearing you, rally yourselves up and get behind the boys, because, swear down if we don't make it this season we can't afford another season, it'll be the end of the mighty whites FACT, so we deserve all the luck we can get at the moment and before the game i would have taken a point against Cheltenham, yea theyre not a fantastic side, but you've got to think logically, were a very vulnerable and weak side at the moment, Yeovil was a bit of a fluke and today we were sussed out, big deal, were still there SO CUMMON YOU WHITE BOOOOOOYS!!!

 

[Ian]

No you're right, we are suffering with injuries right now, but that doesn't hide from the fact that we were poor and Cheltenham should have won. I'm just stating facts.

I think what riled me the most was that the attitide and commitment from the players in the first half was poor. They looked half asleep and not really arsed at all. That's just the impression I got.

And like you say, a team sitting 6th in the table, you'd expect a bit more drive from them, after-all they've got a hell of a chance this season. We get annoyed an disappointed because we don't want them to blow that chance.

 

[NeverBeatDaveHiggins]

Well I'm not sure about it being the end of the mighty whites if we don't go up, careful how you sling those capitalised ''facts'' around. :lol: Yes this is the best position we've been in for many years, and probably the squad with the most potential that we've had in ages. And it's nice to have a manager who has a clue, and a heart.

I too was hoping for three points from this home game, but given the halftime scoreline, I'm pleased with a comeback and getting a point. Infinitely better than the way a Brian Little side would have rolled over and died.

SUPERWHITE ARMY .. SUPERWHITE ARMY .. SUPERWHITE ARMY ..

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

I'm sorry but it's 2 points dropped. For all Ronnie wants to tell us it's a good point gained, which is true after the first half shambles, but we HAVE to beat sides like Cheltenham at home to stand a chance of promotion.

Remember we have played a game more than most teams and Blackpool are 5 points behind and have 3 games in hand so our place in the play offs is by no means secure and a victory last night would have made it look a lot better and indeed push us to within a win of the auto promotion.

Especially as we go to Orient with Sherriff, who actually had one of his worse games last night, as our only fit senior pro defender! So if we lose at Orient, which is looking increasing likely with a lack of players, our top 6 place will be in doubt, which is why we desperately needed 3 points.

Positives, I can be positive sometimes:lol: , a good fightback and plenty of effort (2nd half). And all the other teams in this division are **** so we still have a chance!!!

 

[white life]

thought one of the main reasons we were poor was that tremarco was playing at right back. every time he got the ball he had to cut inside to do anything with the ball. therefore we didnt really have the kind of width we would of had if we had even had mcready at right back. second half was much better and the substitutions worked a treat. thought when we scored at the end we might of got the winner but it wasnt to be. oh and by the way, it was a very quick 4 minutes of extra time. the board went up at 9.38 and the game finished at 9.39

 

[Seanyb]

We were already a minute into the injury time when greenacre scored. That explains the quick finish

 

[Ian]

We can take a few positives from the game, so yeah, its not all complete doom and gloom. Shuker scored another good goal again, Zola did something positive for a change, Greenacre scored, and we got two goals. Plenty of positives there

 

[lonerover]

I agree about the positives. Out of the last three games if someone had said we would take 7 points, I'm sure everyone of us would have said, that'll do thanks very much, particularly with the way the injury situation has panned out.

Also I can't remember the last time we came from 2-0 down at half time to get something from a game???

Just have to hope and pray that some of our defenders learn to play on one leg!!!!!