Match Report vs TRANMERE
Tranmere Rovers 2 READING 2
Well a very useful away point and another two goals for Trevor Morley! Excellent stuff? Apparantly not according to Phil Newton who was at the game... (cheers to Jon Sutton for posting this)
Well, I went, saw me gran and pootled down to Prenton Park, parked in Elm Road (good sign?) amidst tons of expensive mansions, a stones throw from the ground! I was expecting gangs of "scallies" on every street corner, but it was more like what folk must expect when they come to Elm Park, only to be confronted with Oxford Road. Team news: no Lambert!, Meakon starts! Pufferfish on the Bench! AND F*****G BODIN AT LEFT BACK!!!!!!
The game started as it meant to go on: Tranmere tried passing it about a bit, we hoofed it about a bit and a familar pattern emerged: hoof-boing-boing-boing-hoof-boing -boing-boing-foul-hoof-boing-boing-outofplay-hoof-boing-boin g-boing-pass????-boing-boing-zzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Tranmere had most of the play, mostly down Bodin's flank having quickly realised he is The Worst Player In The World, and suprise suprise, they scored: jinxy bits down the left, geezer passes it out to the overlaping full back who has time to go up in the stand, check the angle, move his players into position, have a quick fag, wave to his mum before crossing it in for some lanky geezer at the far post, all because Bodin was absolutely nowhere, chewing grass somewhere upfield.
Bibbo was also nowhere, and all the R's players started arguing, as they had been before and carried on doing for the rest of the game, though at least it was good to see Caskey looking like he was bothered about more than just pies and his hair (which makes him look like a Podgy Poborsky). We came alive a bit, Meakon looked up for it and it paid off, a decent cross in for oooh Trevor Morley at the far post, though you probably know all this. Half time oranges (straw for Bodin), and the game carried on exactly as before, except that we scored a goal!. Jinxy ball (from Podgy Poborsky?) and Morley's onto it, keeper spills, Archie's shot deflected to Morley (offside) who poked it in. Wow!
Not too much excitement from the R's fans though, as we knew full well we wouldn't win, and the game carried on in the murk at the other end of the field. Tranmere had about nine million corners, all from Donkey's side, and eventually one was scrambled in. I didn't see much of it but it was undoubtedly Donkey Bodin's fault. Pufferfish came on for a knackered looking Meakon, and put Booty through with an ace jinxy back heel, but that was about it, we spent most of the time watching the scoreboard ("all" (7 poxy thousand) the tranmere fans cheered when the Liverpool score came up!, don't they understand?, though anythings better than man u I suppose) Full time was a relief, valuable away point it may have been but we were utter shite, you couldn't even use the old "dogged defending" cliches, or relegation battle bullshit. Quinn said we need a goalie and a striker, but a left back is just a teeny bit more urgent, though it won't be hard finding one better than Bodin, my gran doesn't do much on Saturday afternoons............
Geordie was also well off form, Podgy Poborsky looked up for it but the ball just sailed over his head most of the time, or down the flanks, where Meakon impressed, Archie did quite well, and Macca was Gladiator-like ("and he's facing ..........Macphersooooooooooooon", definitely a post football career there). But at the end of the day it was dull and uninspired, and so were we, we didn't deserve a point, and don't belive any bullshit about "grinding out perfomances to stay in the league" or other cliched garbage. If Tranmere hadn't been such a pile of Scouse reject toss then we'd have been looking to better the Palace score.
Another Report....
Tranmere 2, Reading 2
Reading picked up a valuable point courtesy of two goals from the experienced Trevor Morley. The relegation-threatened side battled bravely throughout and deserved a result.
They found themselves behind in the 13th minute when Graham Branch headed Tranmere in front from a Tony Thomas cross. But Morley levelled matters in the 20th minute neatly heading in a cross by Michael Meaker. Branch missed a couple of clear chances for the Merseysiders and Reading almost sneaked in front before the break when Andy Bernal just missed the target. The visitors did go ahead two minutes into the second half, Morley netting after his original shot had been blocked by keeper Eric Nixon.
Tranmere threw everything into attack and the Reading goal led something of a charmed life until Ian Moore finally fired Tranmere level in the 72nd minute from close range after a Paul Cook header had been blocked. Kenny Irons went close to winning it for Tranmere in the 84th minute, but his fine effort just cleared the bar. At the other end, Martyn Booty almost sneaked in for Reading but Nixon saved well. There were cautions for Andy Thorn and Cook of Tranmere and the Reading duo of Paul Bodin and Jimmy Quinn.
Another Report....
Relegation-threatened Reading fully deserved their point after a battling performance on Merseyside. Trevor Morley was their hero with two goals which took him to 16 for the season. Barry Hunter and Keith McPherson were superb in central defence for the Royals and player-manager Mick Gooding set a superb example in midfield.
Tranmere took the lead with a Graham Branch header after 13 minutes but seven minutes later Mike Meaker provided the cross for Morley to head in at the far post. Morley put Reading ahead in the 47th minute with a close-range shot after his original effort had been blocked by keeper Eric Nixon.
But the visitors then came under tremendous pressure and it was no surprise when Ian Moore levelled matters out with a close-range shot following a 72nd-minute corner. 'I thought we were going to get all three points but it is nice to be going back down the motorway with one,' said joint manager Jimmy Quinn who got himself cautioned in the 87th minute for time wasting. 'Our heads never dropped and the players gave 110 per cent,' he added. Commented Morley: 'We defended well throughout and it was unfortunate to give away the second goal. But it was a fair enough result on the day.' Paul Bodin, who was another to shine in defence for Reading was booked for a 63rd-minute foul.