The Dream Is Over

Last updated : 13 April 2008 By Matthew Jones
It's Tranmere Overs
Only the mathmatics keep Tranmere's faint chances of grasping a play-off place come May alive tonight, as they were eventually comfortably beaten 2-0 at Prenton Park by Nottingham Forest this afternoon.

Tranmere will have quite rightly felt aggrieved at having gone in trailing Forest at half time, but the home sides second half performance simply wasn't good enough as they threw their promotion chances away.

Ronnie Moore made two enforced changes to the side that started the Walsall game seven days ago, as Ben Chorley (suspension) and Jennison Myrie-Williams (knee) were replaced by Chris Shuker and Antony Kay. There were places on the bench for Steve Davies and Adnan Ahmed as Calvin Zola failed to make the 16 due to illness.

Both teams started the match brightly, with possession swinging from end to end, although there were very few clear cut chances.

Rovers had a string of early corners, although many of them came to nothing, especially as Shuker and McLaren seemed desperate to play it short to the other on every occasions (because that extra foot makes so much difference), whilst at the other end Clingan and Ormerod failed to find the target with their shots from the edge of the area.

Tranmere's first chance came on 13-minutes as Ian Moore shot straight at Paul Smith from close range, although the narrow angle didn't help the Tranmere and former Forest striker, before Shane Sherriff cut across the edge of the area and hit a terrible shot with his weak right-foot well wide of goal.

The home side had had the better of the game so far, and on 20-minutes it looked as if they'd made their pressure count, as Chris Greenacre hit the ball home after Shukers' initial shot had been saved by Smith, but Greenacre had been standing in an offside position when the initial shot had come in and the goal was therefore disallowed.

McLaren then dragged a law shot wide of Smith's right post before McLaren linked up well with Shuker on the right-wing who provided a brilliant cross for Ian Moore at the back post, but the Tranmere number nine hit his header straight at the goalkeeper.

However, Tranmere had failed to make their pressure count and on 34-minutes the visiters scored, very much against the run of play.

The goal in itself was a catologue of errors, as firstly Sherriff lost the ball in midfield to Tyson, before the form Wycome striker raced alongside Antony Kay towards the Tranmere goal. With Kay failing to get near enough the ball, Tranmere 'keeper Danny Coyne came well out of his goal and only got a little slice of the ball, which went passed him and allowed Nathan Tyson to run in to the Tranmere six-yard box and tap home the easiest goal he'll ever score.

Tranmere looked to get back in the game before half-time and Ian Goodison should have equalised four minutes after the home side had gone behind but he stuck his header wide of the goal.

Ronnie Moore's side then went in trailing, and with Leeds having won in their lunch time game against Carlisle, Rovers knew a win was crucial. The feeling was that perhaps the Tranmere boss should have changed things around by utilising his substitutes bench that included Craig Curran and Steve Davies but not half-time chances were made.

It looked as if that decision might not have mattered straight after the re-start as Shane Sherriff drifted down the left-wing and curled a deep cross over towards the back post where an unmarked Chris Shuker was waiting, but he could only send his header straight at Smith.

Greenacre's cross somehow avoided everybody after good work from Jennings soon after, but on 52-minutes the game was as good as over as Forest got a second, killing off Tranmere's hopes of a revival and of pinching sixth place.

Nottingham won a corner on their left, and they were allowed to take it short. With no Tranmere player apparently interested in closing down the man now on the ball, Chris Cohen, the former Yeovil player was allowed to swing a dangerous cross into the box where an unmarked Wes Morgan powerfully sent an unchallanged header into the top corner, leaving Danny Coyne with no chance.

The game was now all but over for Tranmere, and the players seemed uninterested in the rest of the game. Only Ian Moore and Chris Greenacre chased down balls whilst often Forest were allowed to pass the ball around at ease, often finding space in dangerous positions.

Just after the hour mark, Steve Davies made his long-awaited return to first team football as he replaced Shane Sherriff whilst Craig Curran was brought on for Chris Shuker and he went upfront as Ian Moore moved to the right-wing. The lack of Calvin Zola on the Tranmere bench though was telling as Ronnie Moore didn't have his tall striker to go to.

Davies showed glimpses of the form that he'd displayed in the early part of the season, sending a couple of dangerous crosses into the box but his corners were generally poor whilst a shot from a free-kick that he took went over the bar.

Tranmere midfielders Paul McLaren and Steve Jennings picked up silly yellow cards, both their tenth of the season meaning they will miss the next two games, allowing Adnan Ahmed and John Mullin a chance in midfield. McLaren was booked for taking a free-kick after being asked to wait by the referee whilst a Jennings shoulder charge saw the much improved midfielder make no attempt to play the ball as Forest looked to counter attack after a Tranmere moved had broken down.

Rovers had a couple of chances to get back in the game, with Curran looping a shot over his shoulder and over the bar whilst in the dying moments Ian Moore dived low but could only head a Chris Greenacre cross wide of the far post.

However, the final whistle blew after four minutes of injury time and Tranmere knew that their season was not going to be extended by at least two more games.

There's always next year...

Jones' Man of the Match: There were some poor displays from the likes of Kay, McLaren and Goodison today, but left-back Andy Taylor put in a strong performance, motoring up and down the line as ever and making some key defensive tackles.