By Deadly Submarine
December 3 2006

A first half goal from Shane Sherriff was not enough for Rovers as Peterborough knocked the home side out of the FA Cup for the second time in three years after outplaying their hosts for much of the game. Two goals from Danny Crow sealed the win for Posh.

 

 

 

Attendance: 6,308

             

            Referee – Trevor Kettle (Rutland)

 

 

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Despite going ahead after half an hour through Austrailian defender Shane Sherriff’s header, Rovers still managed to be knocked out of the FA Cup by Peterborough United for the second time in three years.

 

Rovers were outplayed by an organised Posh side but the home side had the better of the first half chances.  However Danny Crow equalised in injury time at the end of the first half with United’s only real chance of the half and the player added his second goal twenty minutes from time to seal a shock but in the end deserved win for the League Two side.

 

Rovers were hit by a blow before the game even kicked off when midfielder John Mullin turned his ankle in the warm-up and limped off the pitch.  After Mullin had initially been announced as starting in the same team that had won against Brighton and Blackpool, he was then replaced before kick-off by the returning Kevin Ellison who took up Mullin’s usual central midfield role.

 

Ellison’s place on the bench was taken by young striker Craig Curran who joined John Achterberg, Calvin Zola, Mike Jones and Robbie Stockdale as substitutes.

 

The game kicked off amid a party atmosphere in the Cowshed end as the mass ranks of Peterborough fans made themselves heard and seen amid flags, balloons and flying toilet rolls.

 

Sadly the Rovers fans were less lively and the Kop in particular looked very depleted as the game got underway.

 

Rovers almost had the lead in the opening five minutes when Chris Shuker did well down the right hand side and crossed for Chris Greenacre whose header was brilliantly saved by Posh keeper Mark Tyler for a corner kick.

 

Danny Crow had a good chane for the visitors in the first half whilst Shuker and Ellison both failed to convert decent chances at the other end for the home side.

 

It was becoming clear that Peterborough looked most dangerous on the break and far too many times Rovers seemed to let them break and out the defence under pressure.  However, on the half hour mark,  Tranmere took the lead from a corner kick.

 

The ball was played in towards the near post by Chris Shuker and was met by left-back Shane Sherriff whose header hit the crossbar but then dropped into the net for his second goal of the season, both goals having come in Cup games.

 

Although the visitors did continue to look threatening, it was Rovers who continued to have the better of the first half chances with Ellison and Thompson both having shots at goal that sadly failed to extend the lead of the home side.

 

Just when it looked like Rovers would go in to the half-time break in front, they fell to a sucker punch when poor positioning from Shane Sherriff allowed Adam Newton top cross in to the Rovers penalty area and Danny Crow converted easily at the near post to equalise and send the mass visiting fans into celebration.

 

Three minutes into the second half, Rovers were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the United penalty area for a foul on Ellison but Davies’ free-kick deflected off a defender and out for a corner.

 

Some good work from Davies and Ellison set up Davies for a shot that was blocked by the goalkeeper Tyler whilst Posh put pressure on the Rovers goal as well to remind the home side that they were still a threat.

 

After Gareth Taylor had a shot deflected onto the top of the goal on 67 minutes, the visitors took the lead when Danny Crow struck again as he beat Gavin Ward after Rovers’ defence had hesitated far too much after a throw-in.

 

After the goal, Rovers Boss Ronnie Moore brought on Calvin Zola in place of the relatively ineffective Kevin Ellison and the home side moved top a 3-4-3 formation with John Thompson moving from right-back to central midfield and Zola going upfront with Taylor and Greenacre.

 

Zola’s first touch of the ball was a little while in coming but when it did it was a decent header from a Davies cross from the left that Tyler did well to tip over the crossbar for a Rovers corner.

 

Peterborough defender Guy Branston should have been sent off when he pole-axed Gareth Taylor at head height on the edge of the United penalty area but the referee Mr Kettle only showed a yellow card.

 

The frustration of that decision was made even worse when Branston later cleared from Gareth Taylor during five minutes of injury time when Taylor had three bites of the cherry in one move but couldn’t stab the ball home.

 

Rovers couldn’t find a way through as they reverted to pumping long balls forward late on in a bid to save the game.  Shuker almost found Zola in space but the wingers pass was too hard for the striker and another chance went begging for the home side.

 

The defeat could prove costly for Rovers in terms of finances and the loss of a possible big tie in the next round but with the distraction of the FA Cup now gone, Rovers will be hoping to maintain their promotion charge in League One.  If they are to do that though they will have to avoid defeats like this in future, starting with the trip to Scunthorpe on Tuesday night.

 

 

John Thompson – Without doubt the best Rovers player on the pitch both at right-back and when later moving into midfield as the game drew to a close.  To not at least try to sign him on a permanent deal would be a travesty.

 

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"We weren't good enough, simple as that.  We gave away a silly goal two minutes into injury time.  It was the only chance they had in the first half.”

"I'm disappointed, they've let an awful lot of people down.  It's a massive competition to be in, what we've done is ruin a great opportunity to get some money into this club.  We aren't good enough to switch it on hot and cold.  We've got to be focussed.”

"I thought their number five [Guy Branston] was lucky to stay on for the challenge on Thompson, and then he wouldn't have made the save he did in the last minute from Gareth Taylor.  It was a clinical take out.”

"But we were poor.  The performance wasn't good enough.  They've let me down, they've let the Chairman down, they've let the Board down and most of all they've let the supporters down.  When are we going to get another opportunity to maybe go to Old Trafford in front of 70,000?  We're just lucky it hasn't cost us in the League.  If we perform like that on Tuesday night, there's only one outcome.  I'm absolutely gutted with the way we've played today."

"John (Mullin) went over on his ankle. It did hurt us but I'm not using that as an excuse.  The problem was we haven't got a midfield player.  Danny Harrison is suspended, Jason is injured and Jenno is injured.  We've got young Paul Henry who has not played and it is too big a game to put him in.  I didn't want to change the back four.  Thommo has played in there, but to do that I'd be changing the back four."