Tranmere, and proud.
Wednesday 2nd December, 2009
By Richard Ault

For all the poundings John Barnes had us endure against the likes of Walsall and Swindon.  For all the moments this season you've felt like strangling some of the players.  For all the times other fans mocked at our pathetic former management team.  And for all the repeated kicks in the privates we've had this season.  Last night....well, it very nearly made it all worthwhile.

It was one of those nights you were proud as ever to support the club.  Proud that, even though we are bottom of the Third Division (in old money), it was a throw-back to the days when we didn't know when we are beaten.  It's put a smile o my face this morning.

When people, usually Premiership "fans", have ever asked me why I bother going to away games on freezing cold winters nights, or at the other end of the country, I usually reply with something along the lines of; "that's what it's about, isn't it?"

Yesterday, I was pondering whether to travel to Huddersfield last night.  Speaking with a Chester City fan in the morning they had asked me what the point was.  My reply, albeit a little tongue in cheek given their current plight, was; "You've got to be there for the bad times to appreciate the good". 

Little did I know one of those typical Tranmere nights lay ahead.

I was actually on the way to a prior engagement in Manchester last night still in two minds whether to go to the game.  Driving down the M56, the rain battering my windscreen and the little snowflake on the dashboard reminding me how cold it was, the turn-off for the M6 and all that lay beyond was upon me.  My head said carry on to Manchester. My heart screamed Huddersfield.  The heart won.

After dealing with the snow, sleet and winds on the Pennines and being forced to park a good 10 minute jog from the Galpharm Stadium, I walked up the steps and into the away end as the home fans roared.  1-0 Huddersfield.  I'm afraid I cannot tell you a single thing about the goal, apart from the fact it came after six minutes. 

I instantly started to question if I'd made the right decision in coming after all.

It was now going to be a huge challenge to see if Rovers could salvage anything in the remaining 84 minutes of the match.  Yes, it was only one goal, but we failed to score at home to Aldershot on Saturday and we had managed only three goals away from home all season.

Within minutes any pessimism I may have was forgotten.  Rovers broke up the right.  Gornell got beyond the Huddersfield defender and fizzed a shot goalward.  Alex Smithies saved for Town, but skipper Ian Thomas-Moore smashed the ball home from just inside the box.

I'm not going to pretend Rovers matched the hosts in terms of possession or attacking quality, we didn't.  For the next 20 minutes the Huddersfield onslaught was relentless.  They spotted an early weakness in a shaky looking Zoumana Bakayogo and begun to switch play out to Rovers' left at every opportunity. 

Thomas-Moore was dropping in to help Zouma deal with Anthony Pilkington's mazy runs, whilst Welsh and Taylor tracked the runners who were trying to support him.

Daniels was called into action to prevent Rhodes, although the shot was down his throat.  Ex-Blackpool man Peter Clarke rose highest in the box from a corner, but the on-loan WBA keeper acrobatically tipped his header over the bar.  If it wasn't already clear, this was not going to be a walk-over for the home side.

Rovers threatened briefly on the counter-attack, Gornell flashing an effort over whilst John Welsh also had a decent effort from range.  It soon swung back the other way, former Tranmere favourite Antony Kay becoming more influential in the middle with that laid-back style of his. 

He hadn't bargained for Ash Taylor though, his surprise replacement at Prenton Park.  After John Barnes had used that incredible managerial insight of his and tried to convert Ash to a centre back, he is now back in his natural midfield position and is excelling in his first run of first team football.

Taylor hustled and bustled, yet when he got possession he was ready to get his foot on the ball and look for the pass.  Ironically, when Rovers did have the ball, he was the calming influence in a way, something you'd have thought the older pros would have been to him.

Goodison and Broomes were being moved all over the show as Huddersfield energetic front players shifted from side-to-side, backwards and forwards looking for openings.  Both Broomes and Logan were caught on the wrong side of their man on occasions, but there was always somewhere there to mop up.

Tranmere held firm until half-time and retired to the dressing rooms for a well-earned rest.  The Super White Army went in search of something hot to warm them up, the meagre supply of pies in the away end threatening to sell-out before the interval.

Second half

Town skipper Peter Clarke led his team mates enthusiastically on to the pitch, still failing to rouse much of a response from the healthy home crowd despite attempts from the announcer to build some atmosphere.  In contrast to the purposeful emergence from the tunnel of the home side, the Rovers lads strolled out a minute or so later, relaxed and comfortable, and in no rush to re-start the game.

Once things did get underway, it was more of the same.  Backs-to-the-wall as Huddersfield pressed.  Rovers were getting tight though, restricting the attacking progress of their hosts.  Much of the time we had 11 men behind the ball.  Purists may whinge at such tactics, but what would you do if in a similar position to Rovers?

Bakayogo appeared to be getting to grips with Pilkington and the midfield trio of Edds, Welsh and Taylor were, to be frank, immense.  They harried, chased and put their heads in where it hurt.  I said a few weeks ago in a report we're going to have to earn our luck.  If the past seven days are anything to go by, we are doing it, and how.

The home side's pressure grew, and on 58 minutes they were back in front.  Bakayogo was purely out-numbered on the left this time (Huddersfield's right) and despite limiting the delivery of his opponent to a poor cross, Rovers squandered two chances to clear.  It was Goodison's poor touch that diverted the ball to Lee Collins, and he curled the ball around Daniels into the far corner.

Finally, some noise from the natives.  The music blurred out and Town fans rejoiced.  Surely now they would take the game by the scruff of the neck and put it beyond poor little Tranmere.

Or not.

As if to stamp their feet and scream at Town; "We came for a point, we will leave with a point", Tranmere did it again.  Mr Barnes would have been left in a cold sweat at the style of it though.

A long ball *gasps* from Luke Daniels saw Ian Thomas-Moore brilliantly leap to flick the ball on.  Craig Curran read it and ran through inside the box.  Despite being to the right of goal, his first touch was sweet.  His second was a stunning finish.  Hard and low, he fizzed the ball across Smithies into the far corner.  The 317 strong following from the Wirral erupted again.

A few made use of the vast rows of empty seats by running across the stand, others hugged the nearest person some just jumped on the spot constantly roaring their approval.  Something felt different.  It felt like Rovers were going to stop at nothing to get something from this game.  In the early months of the season we would lie down.  Not now. 

Huddersfield players looked in disbelief, hands on their heads, looking at each other blankly. 

Rovers, cheered on by their small following that, from within, sounded as though there were at least treble the number, dared to look for another.

During the next five minutes we saw something we just haven't seen this season.  Rovers had a real confidence about them, even a slight swagger to their step. 

Another long ball had Huddersfield's defence looking like they'd been recruited from the Dog and Duck's release list.  Gornell, who was fighting for everything, used his strength to get in behind.  In a near-identical position from where Curran had gone on to score from, he burst in behind the defence and ran across his man.  His legs tangled with the defender and he was sent crashing to the turf.  Penalty, nailed on.

Surely?

No. 

The ref, who had given the home side the benefit of 'doubt' on numerous occasions could have been excused as his view looked impeded.  The linesman however couldn't.  He was staring straight at it.

Rather then remonstrate now, Rovers soon had possession back.  Welsh forced a save from the keeper and Tranmere had a corner.  A few Rovers players then ran to the linesman to bemoan the mans stupidtiy, but they soon turned their attentions back to playing. 

Edds acted as cheerleader, pumping his fists to the away end as he retrieved the ball in a hurry.

From the corner, Taylor and Goodison both went up for it, but the ball bounced fortuitously into the arms of Smithies in the Town goal.

Huddersfield had weathered the storm and now set about building momentum again themselves.  Sub Theo Robinson saw his close-range head magnificently saved by Daniels, the ball scrambled clear by Goodison.  Entering the final ten minutes though, Rovers were tiring.

On 82 minutes, it looked like another cruel blow was to rob Tranmere of a deserved point.  A cross in from the right found Antony Kay who managed to stretch out his leg and convert from close-range.  The former Rovers man had surely snatched a vital last-gasp winner for his promotion chasing side.

Rather than run away, arms a loft, Kaysy simply acknowledged the fans and started to walk back to the halfway line, head down.  Say whatever you like about him, but he was phenomenal for us last season and showed terrific respect to us when, given that a few had booed him, he had no need to do so.  Top marks Kaysy, much respect.

Rovers had a matter of minutes to save themselves.  The chances of us doubling out entire away goals haul for the season with another goal were slim, but for some reason you just knew we weren't done.

Les Parry instantly introduced Michael Ricketts as a sub for the outstanding Gornell.  When the Huddersfield players jeered and mocked the incoming Rovers forward, you just had a feeling they may regret it. 

Rovers had a free-kick on halfway.  Welsh lumped it in and Huddersfield's inept, powder-puff defence panicked.  It fell between Taylor and Ricketts and they both swung, sending the ball towards goal.  Smithies frantically scampered across his line as the ball, almost in slow-motion, approached the line.

The goalkeepers out-stretched arm wasn't quite long enough and the ball tip-toed across the line.  A defender hacked it clear but this time the linesman decided to be a man, and signal the goal.  Again, the SWA went mental.  It was one of those moments when you hug the nearest person, jump around frantically and start to sing about six different songs within 30 seconds.

As if sticking two fingers up to the rest of League One and the countless pundits and opposition fans that had written us off, we had snatched the most unlikely of points.  Don't get me wrong, we were out-played for most of the game, we were under the cosh.  But for a team bottom of the league who have been through what we have, you'd have been forgiven for expecting the team to lie down and take the pummelling.   The spirit, the togetherness and the commitment we showed last night was phenomenal. 

In the cold light of day, it is just a point at Huddersfield Town (meant with the greatest of respects), and so it would be wrong to over-react.  But it as though Rovers have woken up and smelt the coffee.  Only thing is now lads, over the past week you have shown terrific spirit and guile.  We now know you have it in you to get out of this.

It is worth noting as well, that Huddersfield's attacking play at times was superb.  They will most definitely finish top six this season, of that I am sure.

As I begun my mini-marathon run back to my car after the game, I caught all sorts of different snippets of conversations of home fans.  One I found particularly amusing running through the car park was a Town fan saying;

"They were s%*!, it was like watching Brazil versus Bradford".

I laughed to myself.  You know you've got a good result when the opposition fans sound bitter.