Smash and grab win for Rovers in London

Last updated : 20 January 2008 By Matthew Jones
Special day for Kay
After dominating in defeats to Hereford and Leyton Orient away from home recently, Tranmere were today second best to Millwall at the New Den but still came away from London with the three points thanks to a superb Antony Kay header in the 87th minute.

Ronnie Moore made just one change to the side that was unlucky to be dumped out of the F.A. Cup at Hereford on Wednesday, as captain Ian Goodison returned to the starting line up following his four match ban, replacing Ben Chorley in the starting XI. After Carl Tremarco's transfer out of the club, Chorley was on the substitutes bench.

To start with, the game was very open and there were a few chances for each team at either end of the pitch.

Tranmere threatened with a few early corners, although McLaren rarely beat the first man with his set-pieces, whilst Danny Coyne was called into action early on as he pushed Jay Simpson's cross round the post after the man on-loan from Arsenal had beaten Andy Taylor on the Tranmere left.

On 12-minutes Alexander had his shot deflected wide by Antony Kay before the home side should have taken the lead shortly after, as the same man, unmarked in the penalty area, sent a header back across goal and just wide of Coyne's right hand post from a Dave Brammer corner on the Millwall left.

Tranmere pressed forward at the other end, but struggled to get a shot on target. First Andy Taylor, who yesterday completed his permanent transfer to the club, had a shot charged down, whilst after a ball broke to the edge of the area from a corner, Robbie Stockdale smashed the ball up into the upper tier of the stand behind the goal.

However, on 22-minutes Tranmere did get the ball in the back of the net through Calvin Zola, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Jennison Myrie-Williams, again on the right of midfield, cut inside and hit a low, powerful shot towards goal. The 'keeper fumbled the ball and Calvin Zola pounced to put the ball in the net. However, as soon as Zola became active the linesman raised his flag and so the game remained at 0-0.

Millwall went back on the offensive soon after, with former Wrexham player Brammer attempting a right-footed lob with the outside of his boot from just inside the area, but the ball dropped harmlessly wide of Danny Coyne's left-hand post whilst back at the other end Gareth Taylor had a header saved by Pidgeley in the Millwall goal after the former Welsh international had connected with Jennings' cross.

The Lions continued to press, with Coyne quick out of his goal to prevent Alexander from shooting and then Taylor blocking a Brammer effort just before the half time whistle.

The two teams went in at half-time knowing that this game was there for either of them to take. With defences apparently on top, it looked as if one goal could win it, but indeed the goal could go either way after an even first half.

As it was, Millwall came out after the break and were much the better team. Alexander was first in the action, as the striker produced Coyne in to a good save as the home team stepped up a gear with them now shooting towards their own fans.

On 58-minutes, Shane Sherriff was lucky to get away with only a yellow card as the Australian lunged in on Alexander near the half-way line, missing the ball completley and taking the man. It therefore appears that the Rovers number 5 hasn't learnt from his mistake against Leyton Orient earlier this season.

On 63-minutes, Millwall came the closest that either side had come yet to opening the scoring through striker Adrian Forbes.

A Millwall attack built from inside their own half after what appeared to be a very poor and late tackle on Robbie Stockdale, forcing him to fall over and therefore lose possession, went unnoticed by the referee.

Forbes broke into the Tranmere half after beating the striker to the ball and hit a dipping shot from distance towards goal, forcing Coyne to tip the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner Robinson headed over.

On 69-minutes, Ronnie Moore looked to change the game as young striker Craig Curran replaced Calvin Zola up front, despite Zola looking the more threatening of the two front men.

Chances were fewer and far between in the second half, as the game grew tighter, with each team determined not to lose.

The game however was lifted around the 70-minute mark as each sets of fans, motivated by their opposition fans, began to become more and more noisy, lifting the already good atmosphere in the stadium.

Both teams now began to lift their game too, and a goal began to look more likely, although it couldn't have looked less likely than before.

Neil Harris first forced Danny Coyne in to a terrific save with a volley at the back post after Simpson's cross before Mike Jones replaced Shane Sherriff on 76-minutes and he promptly moved to the right-wing, with Myrie-Williams moving to the left.

This change almost worked a treat immediately, as Tranmere had strong claims for a penalty after Myrie-Williams went down in the Millwall area.

The on-loan wide man, who's family had travelled to the game, picked up the ball just inside the Millwall half and ran towards goal. After out-pacing his man, Myrie-Williams perhaps took one touch too many when he should have shot, but was shortly bundled down by a tackle from behind by the Millwall defender. The referee however for some reason waved play on, despite the obvious foul.

With six minutes remaining, Steven Jennings was replaced by John Mullin, as Tranmere appeared to be settling for what would be a reasonably pleasing away point.

This was however far from the truth, as Tranmere grabbed what was possibly an undeserved win thanks to an Antony Kay header on 87 minutes.

Substitute Mike Jones won Tranmere a free-kick on the right hand touch line, around 15 yards outside the area. Paul McLaren took the set-piece, and sending in his first decent delivery of the match, the midfielder placed the ball perfectly on top of Antony Kay's head, not for the first time, who lept superbly into the air and directed the ball into the bottom corner of the goal.

Tranmere were now 1-0 up and the travelling away section of 228 Rovers faithful had, quite rightly, gone barmy. They were, however, in for a nervy last three minutes, plus four minutes of injury time, as Millwall pressed forward in search of an equaliser.

However, they simply couldn't get their efforts on target. Millwall won a string of corners and looked to threaten, but every time Tranmere cleared the ball, with Neil Harris coming closest to an equaliser as he blasted over the bar.

Tranmere managed to get the ball down the other end and won a couple of corners to waste time. After the ball had gone out for a Millwall throw in, midway inside the home sides half of the field, the ball was heading towards the centre circle when the referee blew up to end the game and end Tranmere's run of eight away league games without a win, their worst run since 2003.

Although perhaps not a deserved result, this was indeed a win that had been coming for some time. After Tranmere's dominating performance but in the end dissapointing result against Hereford, and a terrific but unfruitful display against Leyton Orient, the fans could sense that it might be a poor performance that saw them get that ellusive victory, their first of 2008, and so it proved.

Jones' Man Of The Match: Calvin Zola was good until he was replaced upfront after 69 minutes, whilst the return of Ian Goodison at centre-back didn't go unnoticed. However, the man of the match today for me was goalkeeper Danny Coyne. The Welsh international made a string of fine saves, keeping Tranmere in the game once again, before Antony Kay bundled in to the winner as Coyne kept another clean sheet.