When the Terriers of Huddersfield take on the Rovers of Tranmere, many people would use the pun ‘dog fight’ to describe the game but in truth this game was something of a dogfight as Rovers made Huddersfield work right to the end before they eventually took all three points.

When John Achterberg saves a penalty that should never have been given in the first place, you begin to wonder if it this could well be Rover’s night and with just three minutes remaining it looked as if Rovers would take home a point that the defence had worked hard for during the game.

However, penalty save or no penalty save, this was not to be Rovers night yet again as Danny Schofield made the visitors pay for a lack of attacking ideas with a well taken goal just three minutes from time to hand the Terriers a 1-0 win.

It was not the best performance yet again from Rovers with the midfield once again a let-down with the wingers of Summerbee and the slightly more promising Aiston, and the aging central midfield combination of McAteer and Rankine all disappointing in the middle of the park.  The result was a distinct lack of attacking ideas despite Delroy Facey winning headers and putting crosses in but unable to link with Greenacre effectively.

The ineffectiveness of Rovers attack however, should not take credit away from the defence who despite having some desperate moments, hung on for what looked like a valuable point until the lapse three minutes from time that Manager Brian Little called ‘sloppy’.

Rovers made one change from the side that started the 2-2 home draw with Gillingham with broken nose victim Danny Harrison replaced in the starting line-up by Captain Jason McAteer.  The extra place made available on the bench by Harrison’s absence saw Theodore Whitmore, scorer of two goals at the Galpharm Stadium last season, return to the bench.

Although the home side began the brightest and had an early Pawel Abbott chance prevented by Mark Rankine, neither side was really able to create goal-scoring chances in the opening twenty minutes of the match but it would be fair to say that the Terriers had the better of the possession.

The first good chance of a goal came for the home side on 24 minutes when Nathan Clarke headed high and wide of Achterberg’s goal.  Just four minutes later however, Huddersfield had the best chance of all to open the scoring from the penalty spot.

Ian Goodison appeared to control the ball on his shoulder as he attempted to clear the danger and the referee let the incident pass but a split second later, the referee’s assistant had flagged and the referee pointed to the penalty.  Pawel Abbott stepped up and having seen Achterberg save only one penalty before in my times of watching Rovers, it was fair to say I feared the worst from Huddersfield’s top-scorer.

However Abbott’s penalty was weak but still heading for the corner but Achterberg dived the right way and pulled off a terrific save before the danger was eventually cleared.  Justice appeared to have been done!

Greenacre and Facey had a couple of half-chances either side of another good save from Achterberg this time from Chris Brandon but the scores remained level at the break and things still looked promising for at least a point for Rovers.

In the last two games, Rovers have scored immediately after half-time so when Nicky Summerbee lined up a 25-yard free-kick just three minutes into the second-half, hopes were high of a repeat.  However although Summerbee’s free-kick was low and under the leaping defensive wall, goalkeeper Paul Rachubka was able to gather easily.

A number of Rovers fans had money on Michael Jackson to score first and their victory was very near when a Rovers corner found him unmarked in the penalty area but the only contact Jackson could make with the ball seemed to be via his nose and the ball bounced to the grateful Rachubka.

Rovers were having their best spell at this point of the game at this point with Facey in particular doing his best along with Aiston to crosses into the Town penalty area but agonisingly finding nobody on the end of them.

Ironically, Rovers best spell of the game ended with a knockout blow when with just three minutes remaining when substitute Mark Hudson found Danny Schofield who turned his man and fired a shot past Achterberg’s despairing left hand to hand the home side the points.

It was harsh on a Rovers defence that had held firm and although Rovers had had few clear cut chances, their attacks had at times promised much and players often seemed afraid of shooting from distance.

Rovers now lie 17^th in League One and just a point off the relegation zone.  They are now ten points behing the three joint leaders in Swansea, Huddersfield and Southend United.

A draw at least is now required at Nottingham Forest on Saturday but on this performance the problems we clearly have in midfield will need to be addressed before its too late!

The Gaffer’s Verdict……..

The Team Line-Ups

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