Just absolutely gutted. What a blow that was. We did so well, we were so close to forcing penalties, and the wham, that **** costs us the game. Couldn't believe it. Just at in my chair, head in hands, for about five minutes and then kicked about everything in sight. I haven't felt like that after a game since the Hartlepool semi-final loss.
That was it, it was our night. We had them on the rails after Ian Moore's equaliser, which, by the way, was stunning. You will not see a finish with better technique this season. We were much the better team second half, but to be struck by that hammer blow was shattering. I'm still gutted now. Can't believe it.
We changed it to 4-4-2, and to be honest first half we were weak. We created very little going forward and Savage was consistently offside. The midfield was creating very little whilst the only person in that midfield four who appeared to be doing anything was Jennings, who was all over the place, yet after half-time faded into the back round as Moore took over.
In the second half though we were excellent, I thought. Moore was all over the place. Some of his runs were just superb. He was creating chances and pulling their defenders all over the place. Chris Greenacre was a real plus too. Yes he missed one chance, but by God he worked hard. He ran everywhere to put pressure on defenders to win the ball and came into the game more as it went on.
It was Greenacre's persistence that forced the mistake from Murphy for our goal and what a finish by Moore. Technically brilliant, perfectly struck, powerful and accurate. Just magnificent. Yet again he put in a solid performance and got an important goal. Just a shame it was f***** up for him at the end.
At the back, we were strong. Chorley won pretty much everything in the air and Goodison was much improved too, winning plenty of tackles and more importantly headers too, as they often looked to get in round the back of us. Taylor was much improved too, winning some key tackles and interceptions, although he didn't get forward as much as usual.
The less said about Johnson the better though. He was shocking, again. Cost us the second goal with his stupid foul and then scoring the own goal from the free-kick, whilst his passing was generally awful, including a pass-back to Danny in the opening moments that was far too weak. It was lucky their lad put the shot wide from it. He needs to be sent back to Middlesbrough ASAP, he is just useless.
Their first goal was excellent I thought. Perhaps whoever was marking the lad, May, could have done better, but by God what a header. Perfectly placed in the top corner and very powerful from near the 18-yard line - Danny didn't have a chance.
My one complaint from the night is that after we got the goal, we didn't make the pressure count. We didn't take our momentum forward and get a second. We had a few chances, but far too often Jennings, Kay and Savage were running offside, whilst on a number of occasions Scunthorpe defended well.
I don't think we deserved to lose. Yes they were better in the first 45, much, much better, but in the second half we took the game to them and got it level then pushed forward for a second too. But we just couldn't do it.
A draw would have been fair and a 90th minute winner is oh so hard to take. I'm still gutted now, just really gutted. We were so close to that Northern Final, and so close to Wembley.
Nights like this make you wonder why we put ourselves through all this. Football takes us emotionally from one extreme to the other, and all within 90 minutes. Excitement, dissapointment, elation and then devistation. It's hard to take, but I look back on it, and it will be evenings and loses like tonight that make any future success all the more sweeter, that little bit better, and that's why we support Tranmere. Because we can come from the depths of depression to experience success that a fan of Manchester United or Chelsea might well never understand.
A final word for our fans, magnificent, bar ten minutes before half time. We were vocally superb, getting behind the boys and sucking that equaliser in. Again we outsung the home ends but we would have outsung anybody with how loud we were tonight. Magnificent. It's nights like tonight that make you feel proud to be a Tranmere fan, regardless of the result.