The Mini Match Thread

[Boz]

After you lot taking great delight in sending us down from League One in 2004 (?), I was kind of hoping we'd win the title on the last day and deny you 5th spot at the same time! Doesn't look likely now.

What's the general Brabin consensus among Tranmere supporters now? Is he actually a football genius who failed on purpose at Cambridge and Luton and started the season poorly with you lot, just to heighten the excitement of this late(ish) promotion surge?

Still bearing a grudge for that one?
My memory of the game was that Rovers were fairly casual until a ridiculously harsh second yellow saw Ian Sharps sent off and that fired Rovers up. So the referee, a Mr Penton deserves your ire.

Sentiment is changing slightly, though most are still cautious. We can't complain about the recent results, and there are signs the team is finally beginning to gel. Most encouraging is the emergence of the previously absent midfield, but the front line are still struggling to convert.

I seem to remember someone quoting that we haven't won or lost a game by more than 1 goal since November (I haven't checked), so things still feel precarious. Still wouldn't fancy playing you over three games, for example!

'Someone' with selective amnesia, 2-4 to Wrexham in the FA Trophy early December.

As has been said above, things are still up in the air for a lot of Tranmere fans (or the vocal ones, anyway). Personally, I like him, but I must admit even I got to the point where I thought he would be unable to turn it around. That being said, his recruitment, in the whole, has been excellent and we have strengthened in January - Vaughn looks like an excellent signing, how he couldn't get a game for Cheltenham I'll never know. McNulty and Hughes and the rumoured Higdon would make really solid window.

The football has, at times, been a bit boring but in recent weeks we've played better stuff and have more cohesion. He's better than Adams, Edwards and Barnes, so he's OK in my book.

I don't like him, but might change my mind if he gets us up. His tactics are too negative, which may come back to haunt us if goal difference decides the play-off spots, teams like Braintree have come to Prenton Park and shown it is possible to play decent football at this level and win. His failure to give younger players a look-in is very short-term. Jake Kirby comes back from a successful loan spell at Stockport, hardly gets a game, scores a late winner at Barrow coming off the bench and hasn't had a minute of pitch time since being one example.

 

[eightiesrobin]

How I'd love a Yankee of home wins tonight.

 

[Eastleigh Fan]

Gateshead 3 Eastleigh 1

 

[Sparrow]

Eastleigh's wheels are in hot pursuit of Woking's.

 

[Southern Shayman]

Gateshead could be a dark horse in the promotion push at this rate?

Closing out the win today would put them on 51 from 32 games

 

[Tranmerewhite]

Gateshead could be a dark horse in the promotion push at this rate?

Closing out the win today would put them on 51 from 32 games

Seem to be good at home against top sides.. besides when we smashed them of course. They visit Prenton Park at the start of March after travelling to Cheltenham and Halifax. We'll know by then for sure.

 

[Southern Shayman]

Seem to be good at home against top sides.. besides when we smashed them of course. They visit Prenton Park at the start of March after travelling to Cheltenham and Halifax. We'll know by then for sure.

Aspin's poor away from home. With the exception of our play off run in two years ago. If he can stay strong at home and put a few results together then they'll be in with a huge shout.

Although their trip to us is in the trophy so would expect them to come to yours on the back of a heavy defeat to Cheltenham league wise.

 

[Harrier94]

Pretty even game with Cheltenham slightly edging it. But I'm happy if it stays the same.

Also idiots setting off flares at both end. This is Cheltenham not Istanbul!

 

[Jemfy]

We're in a run of not getting decisions from referees, two apparently good shouts for penalties (a tug in the box and a handball in separate incidents). On top of this one of our players got stamped on and no card was shown.

HT AFCR&D 0 - 0 St Ives (n.b. this game is 1st vs 3rd)

 

[Railway Blue]

Bloody hell we're winning 2-0 at Alty............ they must be worse than shite.

 

[Jemfy]

Pretty even game with Cheltenham slightly edging it. But I'm happy if it stays the same.

Also idiots setting off flares at both end. This is Cheltenham not Istanbul!

The way current form is going I wouldn't be overly surprised if you managed to nick it in the 2nd half! That's really a game that anything could happen in.

 

[WokingTillIDiet]

Seem to be good at home against top sides.. besides when we smashed them of course. They visit Prenton Park at the start of March after travelling to Cheltenham and Halifax. We'll know by then for sure.

And apart from us - we beat them 5-1 at their place a few weeks ago. But of course, we're not a top side any longer...

 

[GuiseleySteve]

Guiseley 0-1 Dover
Guiseley down to 10 men, not looking good!

 

[Southern Shayman]

Boreham Wood take the lead against Braintree.

We could really start to look back in deep deep trouble after this weekend at home to Grimsby, Braintree away and then next week having a trophy game.

I've said it for weeks, we're going to go down away at FGR.

 

[Jemfy]

We're in a run of not getting decisions from referees, two apparently good shouts for penalties (a tug in the box and a handball in separate incidents). On top of this one of our players got stamped on and no card was shown.

HT AFCR&D 0 - 0 St Ives (n.b. this game is 1st vs 3rd)

1-0 Diamonds! Tom Lorraine again. We've had the upper hand from the sounds of things. Penalty appeals, twice hit the woodwork, working their goalkeeper. Absolutely huge goal if we can win this game.

 

[fifaking]

Wish the play off chasing sides would stop dropping all these points and giving out false hope for us mid table plodders

 

[Jemfy]

1-0 Diamonds! Tom Lorraine again. We've had the upper hand from the sounds of things. Penalty appeals, twice hit the woodwork, working their goalkeeper. Absolutely huge goal if we can win this game.

AFCR&D 2 - 0 St Ives. Claudiu Hoban has personally been fouled in the box (in the build up to the first goal, according to our twitter anyway), hit the post and the crossbar, and finally gets himself a goal from a free kick - which he was fouled for. Absolutely huge to give us some breathing space for the last 10 mins plus added time.

 

[Semi-skimmed Silk]

Well this has been a load of bollocks. See you in August.

 

[CTFCfan99]

Get in there.

 

[EnglishRed]

Alty...you had one job...

 

[Jemfy]

AFCR&D 2 - 0 St Ives. Claudiu Hoban has personally been fouled in the box (in the build up to the first goal, according to our twitter anyway), hit the post and the crossbar, and finally gets himself a goal from a free kick - which he was fouled for. Absolutely huge to give us some breathing space for the last 10 mins plus added time.

FT 2-0. Big result for Diamonds, we have a history of not winning the biggest league games, and this may not go down as one of the big games, but it certainly felt like it going in. A dominating 2-0 win against a side that were in 3rd. We've now moved 10 points ahead of them having played a game more.

Elsewhere in SLD1C Egham and Kings Langley have won, while Royston had their game postponed. Chalfont didn't have a game scheduled.

 

[CrazyImp]

Becoming a feature of Braintree's season to lose to some pretty unspectacular sides whilst beating the fairly good ones.

Eastleigh have just imploded, haven't they.

 

[ShrewdBlue]

After (rightly) dropping 4 regulars tonight, Burr had to win this one. Think it was probably his last roll of the dice and it came off.

Very happy with that result and hopefully we can do it again on Saturday.

 

[Harrier94]

Well after an even first half Cheltenham dominated the second. A stupid penalty given away for a handball no complaints from me his arm was above his head.

Oh well always wrote this game off, hopefully we'll bounce back on Saturday.

But Braintree really?

 

[CrazyImp]

Got the impression Halifax were pulling away as well, blimey, right back in the shit aren't they?

They'll still stay up mind.

 

[Pliny Harris]

I've said it for weeks, we're going to go down away at FGR.

Stop talking.

 

[eightiesrobin]

Alty...you had one job...

At least you didn't have to watch it. That was beyond terrible, it's very likely we are going down now, IMO.

 

[Master D]

I've only just noticed Boreham Wood's bizarre stats this season. They must have had a ridiculous amount of 0-0 games, equal 5th best defence in the league but 2nd worst attack.

 

[eightiesrobin]

Stop talking.

 

[GuiseleySteve]

At least you didn't have to watch it. That was beyond terrible, it's very likely we are going down now, IMO.

With Torquay beating Macc in the trophy tonight it will mean a rearranged midweek trip down there in the league for you too - ouch! That's a bitch