Tranmere Rovers’ woes continue with 2-0 defeat at Norwich City

Nov 16 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

ANOTHER new twist to a painfully familiar story left Tranmere no closer to finding a route out of the League One bottom four as they took the long road home from Norfolk on Saturday night.

A clutch of missed chances and a penalty award by referee Darren Deadman that was questionable at best, buried Rovers’ hopes of taking a morale-boosting result away from Carrow Road.

Until the official decided midfielder John Welsh had handled a 60th-minute shot by Simon Lappin that was driven against his body at close range, Tranmere were doing an impressively effective job of holding Norwich City to a stalemate in front of 25,000 yellow-and-green clad supporters.

The spot-kick was converted by Wes Hoolahan and from that point on the task of chasing the game moved beyond the visitors. Gary Doherty added a second goal for the home side 10 minutes from time.

The final outcome followed the form-book, yet Tranmere’s performance, composed and resilient, made a nonsense of their increasingly perilous position. It was arguably the most impressive display they have mounted for the caretaker regime fronted by long-serving physio Les Parry and backed-up by coaches Shaun Garnett and Wayne Allison.

If Parry and his lieutenants needed to present a demonstration of why they merit an opportunity to manage the team in the longer-term, this was very nearly it. Nearly, but not quite because once again, the result did not stand up a good argument.

Norwich, one of the hottest teams in the division with nine wins from their last 10 league and cup games, were made to struggle to create opportunities. The Canaries manager Paul Lambert admitted afterwards: “Tranmere were tough – as I expected them to be.”

Rovers, defending in depth, did more than just hold the home side for more than hour; they created the better chances to put their noses in front in well-mounted counter-attacks. The failure to convert a trio of opportunities proved to be as costly as the penalty award.

So Parry was left to mark another negative entry in a record showing four defeats in six games since John Barnes was sacked early last month.

The tactical plan they took into the game had its roots in the physio’s conviction that Rovers should put the focus on keeping the point they start with in away games.

The crowd was the largest Tranmere have played in front of in recent years. Norwich’s support is little diminished by relegation to the third tier and the team’s surge into the top six over the last couple of months has fired enthusiasm in the city. There was scarcely a spare seat in the house.

Tranmere’s preparations were disrupted by two players pulling out on Friday – Gareth Edds after catching chickenpox from his daughter and Alan Mahon because his wife went into labour.

So the visitors were forced into a reshuffle that saw Marlon Broomes recalled as a stand-in right-back and teenager Ryan Fraughan starting his first league game in midfield.

The changes did not prove disruption to the tactical plan. Rovers’ shape and discipline held until they were obliged to throw caution to the wind towards the end of the game.

The afternoon may well turn out to be an important step in the career development of Ash Taylor. The first-year professional was outstanding at the heart of the defence alongside Ian Goodison.

Most of the rest did almost as well as Tranmere set about denying Norwich entry into the penalty area.

Rovers did not just stay in their foxholes.

Chris Shuker might have put them ahead on nine minutes when, cutting in from the left, he fired in a low shot from the edge of the box that forced goalkeeper Fraser Forster into a scrambling save.

Rovers should have capitalised when the busy Paul McLaren sent Shuker breaking out of defence in a run through the inside right channel the took him into the penalty area.

Rather than shoot, Shuker chose a square returned pass for McLaren, whose close-range shot was resourcefully blocked by Forster.

When Goodison scooped another awkward chance over from the corner, Tranmere’s small band of travelling supporters must have begun to fear the missed opportunities would prove costly.

Tranmere failed to take advantage of another clear-cut opening 11 minutes into the second half when Shuker took a pass from Michael Ricketts into the left-hand side of the box, chipped the advancing Forster and saw his effort bounce off the outside of an upright. Four minutes later, when a loose ball broke to Lappin in the Tranmere box, the midfielder fired in a rising shot that struck Welsh on the back of the shoulder as the midfielder turned instinctively away.

There was no question of intent at such close range and a doubt about whether the ball struck Welsh’s arm all.

Even so, Mr Deadman pointed to the spot while waving away Tranmere’s vehement protests. Hoolahan drove the spot-kick into the right-hand corner, just beyond the reach of goalkeeper Luke Daniels.

Rovers were a little less effective when trying to force an equaliser. By pushing players forward they allowed the home team more space to fashion opportunities in the final half-hour.

A second goal, poked home at close range by defender Doherty from Lappin’s left-wing cross, snuffed out the visitors’ fading hopes.

A couple of interventions by Daniels in injury time prevented Chris Martin adding a third goal that would have mocked Tranmere’s efforts.