Out With the Old and In With the New

 

After a surprisingly busy summer in the transfer market for manager Brian Little that included five new signings, the expectations were high amongst the Rovers Board and fans with a promotion chasing campaign expected.  By the time June had begun, most of Rovers squad was in place with Sean Connelly, Graham Allen, Mickey Mellon, Shane Nicholson and Alex Hay departed to pastures new and new faces appearing in the squad. 

 

First in prior to the final home game of the season was Jamaican midfielder Theo Whitmore and he was quickly followed into midfield by veteran Mark Rankine.  The defence was also strengthened with the arrival of former Tranmere loanee Mike Jackson on a permanent deal.  With the midfield and defence strengthened, the attacking area was not to be left out as Little snapped up 19 year old Calvin Zola who was later to become one of the stories of the season for non-footballing reasons.  Just before the season began, Tranmere pulled off their biggest surprise signing since John Aldridge almost 13 years before when Jason McAteer, just released by Sunderland became Tranmere’s new captain.

 

August

 

With expectations justifiably high, the season therefore began in very disappointing fashion as Rovers looked to set to be earning a 0-0 draw at London Road, Peterborough which has often been a bogey ground in recent years. However with just a few minutes remaining, the new look Rovers defence failed to deal with a long throw by Andy Legg and ??????? scored to hand the Posh a 1-0 win and leave Rovers in 21^st place after just one game.

 

The fixtures had determined that Rovers would follow up their away trip to Peterborough United with two home games in five days and this gave Rovers a chance to clock up their first points of the season with six points the definite target following the first game defeat.  Ironically, Rovers first home opponents of the season were Hartlepool United who as we now know were later to be their last home opponents of the season. 

 

A penalty from Ryan Taylor (27mins) put Rovers in front before a Pools equaliser from a wonderful free kick.  In the second half youngster Chris Dagnall scored what proved to be the winner for Rovers but was subsequently sent-off for a second yellow card after over celebrating with the home fans in the Kop.  Just days later, Chesterfield were the visitors to Prenton Park and a Eugene Dadi goal (42) was enough to give Rovers another three points in a 1-0 win.  So six points from the first three games in some way eliminated the memory of that early away defeat.

 

A 0-0 draw at newly-promoted Doncaster Rovers meant Tranmere had still not scored away from home but in two home matches that followed, three Rovers players scored their first ever goals for the club.  In the midweek Carling Cup tie at home to League Two side Shrewsbury Town both Zola (49) and McAteer (80) scored in a 2-1 win.  The home league game that followed six days later against Sheffield Wednesday turned into a goal feast with Zola (12) adding to his Rovers goal tally before  Jackson (18) put them 2-0 up early on. Despite the frantic start there were still three further goals to come before half time as Wednesday scored twice either side of a Ryan Taylor penalty (30)  to make the half-time score 3-2 to Rovers.  Hume (64) added a fourth for Rovers in the second half to clinch the game 4-2. 

 

In their last game of the month, Rovers travelled to Stockport County for the second August Bank Holiday Monday running and finally scored their first away goal as Jackson (54) scored his second in two games to give the Rovers the lead before a late Stockport equaliser gave them their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw.

 

End of August = Position 4^th, Points 11, Scored 8, Conceded 5 (Goal Difference - +3)

 

 

September

 

September began with Rovers again failing to score on their travels as they drew 0-0 at Barnsley as a small number of fans confronted Brian Little after the game about his negative tactics away from home.  Oldham Athletic were Tranmere’s next opponents at Prenton Park in a midweek fixture and Rovers continued their great early season home form by notching up a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Dadi (65) and Hume (73).  However, Rovers were to drop their first home points of the season just four days later as neighbours Wrexham visited Prenton Park and left with a point following a 1-1 draw.  Chris Armstrong had put the Welshmen ahead in the first half but was then dismissed along with Rovers Mike Jackson in the second half after Gareth Roberts had equalised for Tranmere against his hometown club.

 

After defeating Shrewsbury in the first round of the Carling Cup, Rovers faced Premiership Portsmouth at home in the second round but were defeated 1-0 thanks to a goal from debutant Diomansy Kamara.  The last league game in September saw Rovers record their first away win of the season at Torquay United thanks to a brace from Ian Hume (2 and 87).

 

End of September = Position 2nd, Points 19, Scored 13, Conceded 7 (Goal Difference - +6)

 

 

October

 

At the start of October, Rovers faced early runaway leaders Luton Town at Prenton Park and for the second successive home game in a row, they were held to a 1-1 draw.  A bizarre sequence of events saw Rovers take a first half lead after Ryan Taylor (32) was fouled in the area and awarded a penalty.  As Taylor had received on-pitch treatment he had to go off the field before he could come back on.  This meant that Hume stepped up to take the penalty and missed, but the referee ruled that it should be re-taken meaning that Taylor could come back on to take it.  Taylor’s penalty was saved but he put in the rebound.  Luton equalised in the second half to secure a point.

 

Tranmere fell to their first home defeat of the season against Bradford City but in spite of this it was possibly the most entertaining and exciting game witnessed at Prenton Park for many years.  Tranmere were 1-0 down before Taylor (45) scored a penalty.  They then fell 2-1 behind before Iain Hume (66) equalised again.  Bradford scored twice more leaving them 4-2 ahead with eight minutes to play but in a breathtaking last eight minutes Tranmere clawed level through Beresford (82) and Hume (87) only to be hit with a sucker punch as Bantams captain David Wetherall headed an injury time winner to make it 5-4.

 

After the disappointment of a home defeat, Rovers bounced back in the best possible way by ending the month of October with three wins on the bounce.  They began the run with two away victories in a week first at Huddersfield and then at Colchester.  At Huddersfield, a brace from Theo Whitmore (15 and 61) and another from Dagnall (65) saw Rovers win 3-1 and just four days later Dagnall (29) and Zola (81) gave the Whites a 2-1 win at Colchester United.  Tranmere then made it three wins on the bounce by beating Brentford 1-0 at Prenton Park thanks to Ian Sharps (53).

 

End of October = Position 2nd, Points 29, Scored 24, Conceded 15 (Goal Difference - +9)

  

 

November

 

Rovers began a busy month of league and cup action with their LDV Vans Trophy second round game at home to Port Vale having been given a bye in the first round.  Rovers went 2-0 up through Zola (6) and Hume (42) but conceded a second half goal to hang on for the 2-1 win.  The LDV game was followed by home league action against Swindon where a Paul Hall double (34 and 74) was enough for another home win despite a poor McAteer backpass late on handing Swindon a consolation.

 

After four straight league wins, perhaps this was the best time for Rovers to go to their bogey ground of Ashton Gate to face Bristol City?  Perhaps not!  Rovers were thumped 4-0 on a miserable Tuesday night and perhaps that had some affect on their FA Cup first round game that saw their second trip of the season to London Road, Peterborough.  Once again they lost, this time 2-1 although they did manage to score this time through a Taylor free kick (42) that had made the scores 1-1 before being hit by a last minute Posh winner.

 

So after a 4-0 battering in the league and a first round FA Cup exit, Tranmere needed to pick themselves up and they made sure that they took six points from the next two league games, winning 1-0 at Blackpool thanks to an Ian Goodison cracker (38) and then defeating Milton Keynes Dons at home 2-0 the following week with goals from Hall (53) and Whitmore (84).

 

The month began as it had started, with an LDV Vans game (the northern area quarter final) away at Macclesfield Town.  Gareth Roberts’ 18^th minute strike was enough to secure a 1-0 win and send Rovers in to the area semi-final.

 

End of November = Position 2nd, Points 38, Scored 29, Conceded 20 (Goal Difference - +9)

 

 

December

 

Some fans will see December as the month when Tranmere’s automatic promotion hopes really began to falter and it is clear to see that it was certainly not the best month in terms of results.  It began with a trip to Port Vale that saw a woeful performance, particularly in the first half as Rovers crashed 3-1 with Jackson (73) getting Rovers’ consolation.

 

Once again Rovers ensured that they did not lose back-to-back league games this season by winning 2-0 at home to Bournemouth through Hume (45) and Hall (89).  Their next game away at Hull City was seen as a tough one against the side just behind Tranmere in the table.  The task may have been difficult from the start but by half-time it had become mission impossible as Rovers lost both goalkeepers and ultimately their shape as they slumped to a 6-1 defeat that left Rovers fans and players reeling.  Dadi (55) had scored a goal to make it 2-1 before the goals began to flow for the Tigers.

 

Rovers dropped to third place in the table behind Hull that day and incidentally were never higher than third again throughout the season.  The final two games of December and of the first part of this review began with a game at home to Barnsley on Boxing Day where Rovers again bounced back from defeat in the league to draw 1-1 thanks to Iain Hume (73).  They then travelled to Walsall and won 2-0 with goals from McAteer (57) and Taylor (81).

 

 

End of December = Position 3rd, Points 45, Scored 36, Conceded 30 (Goal Difference - +6)

 

So despite the pain of Hull away, by the end of 2004, promotion still looked a realistic prospect for Rovers but what would 2005 hold for Rovers?  Tune in to part two later this week for the second part of this review.

 

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