By Albatross
August 11 2004

Hartlepool United lost their way a bit on the pitch tonight, losing 2-1 to Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park despite playing against 10 men for the last quarter of the game. There were some wrong ways off the pitch for Albatross as well... Gentle Reader, the Wirral Penninsula has much to recommend it. Regarded as a little more genteel than Liverpool, with house prices that reflect that, it has some wonderful scenery and while the Dee Estuary is now silted up there is still a marvellous promenade and Ice Cream Parlour at Parkgate. However, if there is one failing of the place it's an inability to recognise that every now and then outsiders may actually want to find things. Football Grounds for example. For that matter, signs to many places are non-existant - even the Mersey Tunnels are only signed from the A41, the main road. And so it was that although I was admittedly running a little behind schedule, my emergence from the Birkenhead Tunnel sans directions at just before 7:30pm didn't lead me to the interior of Prenton Park until almost 45 minutes later - just in time in fact for the first action I saw leading to Tranmere's first goal. The first part of this report is therefore cobbled together from my brother's recollections (he was giving a Tranmere fan a lift or also would never have found it), the Press Association feed, and my own increasingly panicky attempts to find someone - anyone - that might be able to tell me how to find the place. If I'd followed the crowds, I'd probably have ended up at Al's Pizza on Bedford Road.

7:40pm. Five minutes before kickoff. Pools are unchanged, while Tranmere have swapped their strikeforce. Having taken a right at a roundabout optimistically marked "Town Centre", I quickly find myself driving through what appears to be Rock Ferry. Never mind, I'm soon back on the A41 and heading back towards what I believe to be Tranmere.

7:45pm. Kickoff Time. A request for directions brings me the news that I have to "turn round, and then go right at the left and then right at the lights." Attempts to follow these somewhat bizarre directions take me not to some lights, but two successive roundabouts and no obvious signs to give any direction lead me to a rather nice vista of Liverpool with the Mersey in front of it.

7:48pm. Apparently Paul Hall sends in a cross that Nelson deals with. Pass Al's Pizza on Bedford Road. Further attempts to gain directions lead to a vague waving of the arm in the general direction of the opposite way to how I'm facing.

7:55pm. A Dagnall shot forces a save from Provett. Apparently Pools are trying to play longish balls down the channels, while Tranmere are looking useful. Make panicky phone call to wife - can she dig out the Liverpool A-Z and tell me where I am - and where I'm going? Unfortunately, she's in the bath and can't help. Find someone that can actually give meaningful directions to Prenton Park.

7:58pm. A Jackson header is saved by Provett. Having found the ground, I now discover that the only places to park have Resident's Parking schemes whenever there's likely to be a Football Match. For some reason I don't really want a £20 fixed penalty notice....

8:05pm. Tranmere are still looking the better side, with Provett definately the busier keeper. After circling the area, decide to use the dreaded Official Car Park at £4 a pop. Notice that the away Turnstiles are now completely shut - and also that I'm not the only one that's been struggling with the lack of signage around Birkenhead and it's environs.

8:07pm. We're told to go towards the Director's Entrance - all nine of us. Are we about to be given a Box? There's a roar and then what to a non-Poolie might sound like booing. It turns out that after a foul on Porter, HUGH ROBERTSON has curled a beauty in from 30 yards - a kick that swerved so much that my brother said it looked like it was going well wide at first! This makes stumping up £16 that bit sweeter, although we'd have preferred to have seen it.

8:09pm. They're not quite sure what to do with us. See first glimpses of the game as the stewards leave us in the Player's Tunnel looking out onto the pitch while they decide. Eventually we are lead back into the body of the stand, past the Referee's room, through what looks suspiciously like the Player's Lounge - where the staff take great delight in telling us we've missed the goal - and emerge somewhere level with the 18 yard box in time to see Nelson execute a great tackle on Dadi inside the area, winning the ball cleanly before making any contact with the Tranmere Forward. Dadi didn't dive to be fair - he and Nelse more got tangled up. The Ref blows for a Penalty that RYAN TAYLOR strokes home.

Normal service (or what passes for it) is now resumed - although there were at least half-a-dozen Poolies, similarly mystified by Tranmere's apparent attempts to forget about the football club, that were even later than I was!

Pools were struggling to keep control in the midfield, mainly looking to play the ball down the channels. Dagnall was booked after going in late on Ross - a card that would have huge implications later. Shuggie then had another chance for a blaster when Goodison handballed, but this time his effort was blocked by the wall and cleared. Humphreys then had a shot following a corner that never stood much chance of getting through the crowded goalmouth.

Nelson had escaped a card for the penalty incident, but was not so lucky on 33 minutes. With Tranmere on the break, he stuck his right leg out and tripped Dagnall after the ball had gone - nothing particularly malicious, but given the position probably worth a yellow. Provett caught a dangerous cross from Taylor after the initial set piece move broke down.

Hall sent over a great ball from the left on 39 minutes, a real teaser that beat the Pools defence; however, when the ball reached Dagnall he was already beyond the far post and his attempt was never going to trouble Provett.

Pools looked to press a bit as the half time whistle approached, but failed to create any real chances. The break was spent quizzing my brother about events so far.

Tranmere started the second half brightly, and a well-worked move created an opportunity for Goodison that Provett held well; Pools then went straight on the attack themselves, advancing down the left and getting the ball to Humphreys, who laid it back for Robertson to cross. Willaims flicked on, but no-one could get on the end of it.

Tranmere though got more into their stride and looked much the better side. Pools were struggling for control in midfield, losing possession too easily and resorting to channel balls for the front two to try and get hold of - invariably losing out and seeing Tranmere launch another attack.

There was better play from Pools on 53 minutes though; Boyd and Porter linked up well down the left to eventually force a throw in followed by a corner. However Tranmere were soon on the attack again, carving out a chance for Dadi that was cblocked by Tinkler in the box.

Tinkler was the next player in the book, after a rather too boisterous challenge on McAteer.

Tranmere finally took they lead that their play had deserved on 67 minutes - ironically after Pools had put together a very useful-looking move down the right. The ball broke to the Pools left flank, a channel ball was played forward, and Dadi got the flick-on; Nelson missed his tackle, and DAGNALL raced clear to beat Provett with a shot that went in at the far post.

Jubilation swiftly turned to tragedy and farce though, as the Referee decided that Dagnall had been just a little too exuberant in his celebrations in front of the Home Fans, and showed him first his second yellow card and then a red. The cheers swiftly turned to boos as the crowd realised what the idiot ref had done - even from the Pools end it seemed more than a little harsh on the teenager, and certainly the Rovers fans had every right to feel aggrieved.

As Pools sought to take advantage of the situation Neale Cooper decided to shuffle his pack and brought on Kevin Betsy on for Jack Ross on 73 minutes; Pools moved to three at the back against the lone striker of Tranmere, Betsy moved up front alongside Porter, and Boyd dropped back slightly into the hole.

The move almost payed off straight away. A penetrating attack from Pools gave us the chance to cross from the left; the ball was deflected in the area towards Betsy, who did well to react quickly and shoot - only for the keeper to get the tips of his fingers to the ball and stop it just short of the line.

Hall was then booked after a hard challenge on Sweeney that left the young midfielder needing treatment. Pools were starting to get some sustained pressure going though, with the extra man starting to tell - but the final ball never seemed quite good enough, and Tranmere were looking to clear their lines with a bit of thought and direction. Lone Striker Dadi was replaced on 78 minutes by Calvin Zola, and while Pools continued to have more of the play we had reason to be grateful that we effectively had three on one at the back.

The passing was becoming a little crisper, but the balls into the box were still not finding their mark. Possibly the closest we came were two chances with time running out; on 88 minutes Sweeney curled a great cross in that was literally a couple of inches too far ahead of Betsy; and as we played the second minute of injury time Porter collected the ball on the left wing as a Pools attack broke down and played the ball in to the near post where Betsy did seem to make contact - however it was blocked, the Ref awarding a Goal Kick despite it having appeared to have hit a Tranmere defender. There was just about time for McAteer to make a leisurely withdrawal in favour of Danny Harrison before the final whistle blew to leave the decent travelling contingent frustrated. A quick drive past Al's Pizza on Bedford Road for old time's sake then lead me back to the (closed) Birkenhead Tunnel to round off an evening I'd rather forget in all honesty.

Pools may consider themselves a little unlucky, but to be fair to Tranmere they looked worth all three points. They held onto the ball better, looked penetrating in attack, and looked a capable side all round. Pools on the other hand struggled in midfield, and the attack only really seemed to spark when Betsy arrived on the field. Positives? Betsy did well when he came on, and I thought Boyd looked fairly sharp; but we need to either keep the ball on the floor, or push up quickly to support our forwards when we play the ball forward into the channels. Boyd and Porter sometimes found themselves rather isolated and outnumbered while waiting for support, and to be honest Williams doesn't look dangerous on the right side. Hopefully when Betsy is properly match fit he'll take over there - and if he does, Porter may well be looking over his shoulder as despite a lot of effort he has yet to really impress in the two games he's played. More control in the midfield is also required, and all in all Cooper has plenty of work ahead of him on the training ground before Monday's game with Huddersfield.