Tranmere - Blackpool 2-0 (1-0)

Prenton Park, 24.11.06
Att: 8 247

Blackpool were unbeaten in 7 matches prior to this match. Personally I thought that we definitly could get three points, but just a point wouldn't surprised me... Thankfully my negative thoughts stopped haunting me after, eh.... 55 seconds :)
That was the time that Rovers needed to be in front. Shuker crossed the ball in form the right, it went straight through everyone, and to the left. There Steven Davies shot/crossed the ball back in, were it found Greenacre at the far post. He easily made i 1-0. The atmosphere was reallly good the next ten minutes as the Blackpool fans contributed very much. The rest of the half was not very good from a Rovers viewpoint. We played badly and couldn't get a foot in. Blackpool enjoyed most of the posession, but didn't manage to have a clear chance. I have to admit though, that they should had a penalty when Goodison tripped one of their strikers, but thankfully the referee had a different opinion...
The second half was very much an improvement, and Rovers controlled the game, had most of the posession, and were very confident. Blackpool tried to play some neat football, but it stopped when they saw the sight of goal. Tranmere secured the three points after some good work by Shuker and Greenacre. Shuker crossed in from the left, their goalie really should have held the ball, but didn't. Greenacre got the ball with his back to the goal, passed it to Davies, who shot the ball through some Blackpool-defenders and into the back of the net for his first goal of the season! Adrian Forbes nearly helped Rovers to score a third, as his cross into his own penalty area (!) caught the defence off-guard. Gareth Taylor twice had a shot, but both was blocked. All in all a very good performance, and we're 2nd in the league!!!
MOM: Ian Goodison, he is so confident!

Tranmere - Woking 4-2 (2-0)

Prenton Park, 11.11.06
Att: 4 591

FA Cup 1st round. And we are through to the 2nd round for the first time in three years, where Peterborough United will come and visit us at PP.
The game started off a bit nervously, but very soon Tranmere started to play some neat football. Gareth Taylor is really on fire at the moment and he scored our first from a corner-kick. He outjumped the opposing defender and nodded the ball into the far corner. Just before the corner, Rovers should have had a penalty as one of the Woking-defenders handled the ball. But justice was done when Taylor made it 1-0. Just a few minutes later it was 2-0. The Rovers attack suddenly exploded, as Davies got the ball down the right hand side. He went past his opposer, and charged down the flank, before he crossed a brilliant low cross into the path of Greenacre at the near post. He showed his poacherbrilliance to much delight of the PP faithful. Half-time and we were in control. Almost immidiatly after the interval G Taylor made it 3-0, when he headed a low cross into the net, leaving the Woking-goalie no chance! Surely that put the game beyond Woking? Tranmere thought they could control the game for 43 minutes, but that wasn't to be. The wind, some bad defending and goalkeeping gave the non-league side a consolation-goal. Tranmere continued to try to control the game, and was punished again. A brilliant shot from outside the area flew past Ward, and it was game on! Woking did really well in this period, and Tranmere were awful, didn't put a tackle in, and to be fair, made it look easy to be a Woking-player... Ward really did well as he saved a low shot down to his left as he held Rovers in the game just minutes later... Thankfully Rovers understood the importance, and secured the victory with just a few minutes left on the clock when Greenacre scored his 2nd of the day (couldn't see the goal, as it was a goalmout scramble on the other side of the pitch...).
MOM: Gareth Taylor, has really found his form and showed what a very important player he is!

Tranmere - Millwall 3-1 (2-1)

Prenton Park, 03.11.06
Att: 7 114

After the amazingly poor performance on Tuesday, Tranmere woke up again tonight. After the first 5-10 minutes which were a bit nervous from both teams, Tranmere really set the pace of the game with some brilliant moves. They had a goal ruled out for offside after about 15 minutes when Sherriff really should have had a dig himself, instead of passing the ball to Taylor, which was offside. But just three minutes later Taylor did get his first goal at PP, after he headed in Shuker's brilliant cross at the far post. Rovers continued to press foreward and was rewarded with their second for the night, after Shuker's corner landed at McCready's feet. He managed to get the ball over the goalline, as he also scored his first goal at PP. Millwall had a couple of halfchances, and they got the important goal straight before halftime as one of their strikers chipped the ball past an onrushing Ward. The second half was also very good, Millwall had probably most of the posession, but they never had a real goalchance. Both Davies and Goodison made that sure as they hade som great tackles to hinder them to come one on one with Wardy. Straight before the end, the three points were secured as Shuker took advantage of a mistake by Shaw. He ran towards their goalie and cooly slotted the ball past him, and into the back of the net, to the PP faithfuls delight!!!
A very good game! And I have to say that there were very many norwegians at this game! How cool! :)
MOM: Chris Shuker! Finally used his skills as he should use them!

Tranmere - Darlington 0-1 (0-0)

Prenton Park, 31.10.06
Att: 2 036

Johnstone's Paint Trophy second round, northern section. What an awful game!!! And an awful referee, that is true. I normally never complain about the match officials, but I will make an exception for this match. He was just awful!!!
Tranmere didn't help themselves as they played very poorly on a cold and windy haloween night. I think they were scared of the children who knocked on their housedoors before they got to PP :)
They didn't deserve to win, but to be fair to them, they didn't deserve to loose either, but it happened. The referee gave Darlington a VERY soft penalt as he saw something that everyone else failed to see. Did you see Goodison push their striker? I did not, did you? No!
Anyway, we're out of the Mickey Mouse cup, and can now concentrate on the league, and that doesn't bother me!
MOM: John Achterberg, the only player too get out of the game with his head held high.