Rovers 1 Brentford 1

[Rockford's Love Child]

A very disappointing end to a tight contest. Given our second half performance I think we should really have sewn up the game, but Brentford will argue they deserved the point for their showing in the first 45.

Not for the first time this season our first half performance was poor. Brentford played five in the middle and battled hard, frustrating us and forcing us into errors. I thought we didn't help ourselves with our insistence on playing the ball out from the back on every occasion; this led to us giving the ball way in bad areas on a number of occasions, when really we wanted to play a ball behind their centre backs and get the whole team moving up the pitch twenty yards.

Despite our generally poor play, defensively we were solid once again and Brentford's only genuine oppourtunity was brilliantly saved by Fon Williams.

In the second half we were greatly improved, more composed on the ball and Zoum, Akpro and Robinson began to cause real problems down the left hand side. Akpro's goal was a great piece of individual play, but I thought Zoum was our man of the match, another fantastic performance from him at both ends of the pitch.

I don't think they troubled us defensively at all in the second half, which made the equaliser all the more galling; just a long throw lumped into the box which Gibson, for once, seemed to misjudge.

The real concern has to be Wallace's injury, which hopefully will not be serious.

The moral of today's game is probably that we can't keep giving teams a 45 minute start and expect to score two or three in the second half. It will be interesting to see how we respond to our first real down of the season in the two tough away games ahead.

On the positive side, we are still top and remain unbeaten.

 

[WildRover]

Hopefully it was the wake up call we all needed, as that was a bloody awful performance, and any other day we would have lost that game. Any news on Wallace's injury yet? And Robbo needs a kicking too, 4 yellows already from him, idiot backchatting the ref FFS!!

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Ronnie predicted a tough game (so did I for what it's worth) and it was. Brentford are powerful and physical but I thought it was two very evenly matched teams, both unable to find much rhythm and therefore cancelling each other out.

Our goal was lovely piece of skill from Akpa-Akpro and we could have had a couple more in the second half, however the Bees did have a few chances, and OFW first half save was a blinder.

Overall I would say the draw was fair. Except that when you get to the 95th minute and your leading, you really should be able to hang on for the win. No-one seemed to attack the long throw, which invited trouble.

Not sure we need a wake-up call, think we just need to keep working and hope we can nick a couple of good results on the road now. it's a tough league.

 

[Sparky]

Not wishing to be too critical but as with the previous 2 home games, we were poor first half and you will only get away with that for so long.

Still a great start to the season but our unbeaten record will be tested for sure over the next 7 days.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Hopefully it was the wake up call we all needed, as that was a bloody awful performance, and any other day we would have lost that game. Any news on Wallace's injury yet? And Robbo needs a kicking too, 4 yellows already from him, idiot backchatting the ref FFS!!

I don't think we deserved to lose and I thought the second half performance was fine, to be honest.

But I agree about Robbo; really daft for such an experienced player to pick up a booking in that manner. Let's hope he doesn't get another yellow on Tuesday or he will miss the Notts County game.

 

[Boz]

Largely agree with RLCs opening post. First half, aside from a good move by Robinson, which Zoum was unable to polish off, I don't think we troubled the Brentford keeper at all. The visitors seemed to be all over us and had a lot of luck of the bounce. The pitch seemed to be quite heavy.

Second-half, the goal from JLAA was a great piece of skill. Thereafter,we had chances but didn't finish them and paid for it at the death. 95th minute equalisers against you always feel like you've lost :cry:.

As well as the dangers of trying to play out from the back RLC highlights, Rovers insistence on defensive throw-ins, instead of lobbing a few forward seemed very negative.

Thompson was fairly anonymous today and Palmer below-par. If Wallace's injury is bad and Robbo picks up another yellow card,we might be going into the Notts County game with a Power-Harrison combo. The thought is going to give me a sleepless night.

5720 crowd today, it felt like there were a few more, though only around 200 visitors.

 

[Mal]

No team can perform brilliantly week in, week out on anyone's budget, let alone Tranmere's. I have posted that if we were able to average out 4 game cycle of win 2 , draw 1 and lose 1, then we are likely to be in playoffs. At the moment we can afford to lose next three games and still be on target. suspensions were always on the cards (;0]) as well as injuries. The only thing that bothers me is the history Tranmere has in bottling out or losing form in the final games of the season and missing promotion.

Still , only 29 points off safety, and looking at the bottom 4, we may need less than that! A fantastic first sixth-ish of the season.

 

[Ian]

Wise words Mal.

It was disappointing to concede so late on however.

Regarding Robbo, he can't keep his mouth shut. Soon we will have injuries and suspensions and the real test begins.

 

[bigmart]

With conceding so late it felt like a defeat rather than the draw, it was a poor goal to concede letting the ball bounce from the long throw was a poor mistake to make.

We were poor in the first half with our passing way off and we created nothing of note, the second half was improved and we looked like we would get the 3 points but it was not to be.

A very good start to the season but things will be tougher now with a few injuries as i have doubts about the back up players in our squad but fingers crossed we can get something out of the 2 away games next.

 

[DIW]

I wasn't at the game but having seen the highlights it looked to me as if one of their players was in a clear offside position in the 6 yeard box, clearly interfering with play as he actually tries to head the ball! Any else spot this? Not that it makes any difference now I suppose.