Tranmere Rovers 4 Stockport County 0 ( Football League 2 ) Saturday 17 February 2024

If the weather was dreary on Merseyside the football from County was decidedly worse against Tranmere Rovers who handed out a 4-goal thrashing that this writer finds difficult not to acknowledge as deserved.

Whilst the first Rovers goal came gift wrapped from Mr Chilowicz (an afterthought free kick ), our inability to defend set pieces or mount sustained attacking moves told in the second half against a Tranmere team that had a directness of approach that stood them head and shoulders above the blues today- 3 more goals just adding to County`s ill`s on another day they will be looking to forget.

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More than 2000 headed for the Birkenhead area to support County and hopefully urge them on to a morale boosting win.

The news just prior to kick off was not great namely that Horsfall was ill and not playing which saw Bennett in at the back for his County debut, alongside Byrne- this duo flanked by Bristow ( Left )Cass ( right).

Touray was on the bench and interestingly so was Collar and both would be brought on before the game was over.

But early on we had other matters to think on as Rovers were first over the parapet forcing a decent block from Cass to stop the early rot for the blues.

Apter brought the first save from Hinchliffe within 2 minutes of the start following an early Rovers free kick.

This was not great , but there was little sign of a change as another minute saw Hendry almost catch County out with a ball in from the left . The blues survived though, as the ball went out off Saunders who was one of his team`s prime movers today.

It went on in the same vein Walker earning applause with a turn and spin that delighted the locals but did not get beyond Bennett`s tackle.

It was 8 minutes before County replied with some good work from Evans and Cass down the right, but they did not trouble Mc Gee the home keeper.

County`s next effort was a touch better though- started by a neat run from Sarcevic ended with Bristow`s shot that Rovers back line ushered hurriedly away from the danger zone.

If all the above sounds exciting stuff dear reader it decidedly wasn`t-it was fully 17 minutes before anything more surfaced to command the writer`s attention.

Unfortunately, it was at our end where Byrne pulled out a great block to stop Connor Jennings as Rovers produced their sharpest move of the game so far. A corner followed and much pressure on County that was eventually eased only by a Rovers foul spotted by Mr Chilowicz.

That showed Mr C at his best, the next action showed his fallibility as Jennings went down in a loud heap just in front of where I was sitting. It looked an unfortunate fall….no more I thought …and so it looked like that was the referee`s view also as there was a fairly long expanse of time twixt fall and the referee`s eventual action in response- awarding Rovers a free kick!

Sods Law gives us a hint of what to expect next and it was no surprise to see Davies charge in to power Walker`s kick home and give Tranmere the lead.

And it might have got worse after that calamitous moment as, with the wind in their sails, Rovers piled into County with a will- Bristow doing well to stop Saunders on the break on 32 minutes…..Hinchliffe relieved to see a looping header by Saunders caress the angle of bar and post rather than go in following a free kick.

County did have their moments, but none looked at all likely to stress McGee- a corner and then a free kick lifted tamely into the keeper`s waiting arms.

But the best action in what remained of the half came at our end again as Hinchliffe pulled out a terrific save to keep a thunderous drive from Apter out, having been set up by the influential Saunders.

The blues did put Rovers under pressure in the dying moments of the half, but it ended disappointingly for County with Sarcevic`s shot nestling comfortably in keeper Mc Gee`s arms.

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Half Time Entertainment comes from Dr Feelgood

Going Back Home………

https://youtu.be/Q0Q9Zc7nZjw?si=x-CNstue9Dcy1Gi_

- Back in the Night……..

https://youtu.be/nW1dF8YJ0CM?si=YM9yolTkry0wzsFi

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When the game re-started there were changes to the County line up as Collar and Touray were now on for Cass and Croasdale which looked like we were now seeing Byrne and Bennett in a 3 with Touray ,that later morphed into a 4 with Bristow and Touray flanking Byrne and Bennett who had swapped sides ( Bennett now right/ Byrne left).

If we were looking for a positive response from County, it took some time in surfacing but, after 3 or 4 minutes of pressure a glimmer of hope emerged as Sarcevic dinked over a superbly weighted cross that the onrushing Collar ( such a welcome sight!)headed firmly towards goal. It was a good effort but Mc Gee trumped it and his save had the home specs cheering loudly and with some justification- that was going in!

But, we had long since dispensed with the notion that this was a `paper and decky` game for Hinchliffe, and Ben was again in commanding form , 7 minutes into the half , to keep a shot by Morris out after he had snaffled the ball audaciously from County!

County did keep plugging away if without any sign they were going to replicate the earlier Sarcevic/ Collar moment, but I felt for Bailey surging in a whisker away from glory with his shot following a productive link up with Evans.

Then …calamity with clanging great brass knobs on as Rovers doubled their advantage.

Suddenly, from a fairly run of the mill Rovers attacking/ County defending situation we were knee deep in the brown stuff again as County`s back line apparently went into `snooze mode` when they should have been defending Walker`s free kick, instead they left Turnbull largely unattended and he slotted it home.

We were 2-0 down and the mood was not that great behind Mc Gee`s goal and it got no better as Tanto was played clear. This was a real chance, but we watched as he dwelt seemingly for ever on the ball with the goal gaping, and the chance was pretty much gone before he eventually lifted the ball over the bar.

That was thoroughly disappointing and more very nearly followed swiftly on from it as Saunders could not have been more than centimetres away from heading Morris`s cross home for Rovers.

By this point DC was ringing the changes again bringing Madden on for Powell, and Wootton for Tanto.

But within 5 minutes County`s nightmare was intensified as they went a further goal behind!

It was another calamity - a Tranmere corner….routine stuff except we failed to defend it allowing Turnbull to head home unchallenged!

County were still reeling from that one when another nearly followed – prevented only by Hinchliffe`s latest `belter` as he plucked the ball from the air as it headed goalward from the feet of Saunders who somehow was not on the score sheet.

Apter was another with little luck for Tranmere and this continued and how the locals roared as he cut inside at speed down the right, and how they groaned as the ball hit the side netting with just over 20 minutes left.

Back to Hinchliffe in cracking nick then, and he had to be again as Saunders surged through on the end of a swift / sweeping move from the home side – an improbable save by the County keeper denying Rovers number 19 keeping the score 3-0.

I winced next as Rovers won a corner and again as the predatory Turnbull rounded on it smack in front. He was unmarked again but thankfully his header flew over the bar!

For about 10 minutes after that last action County tried to make some kind of impact on the game, but nothing was working- Sarcevic ending a run with a shot that unluckily took a deflection. Madden shot wide from the corner.

Evans had done as well as anyone in blue today I thought, but on 80 minutes he was replaced by Hippolyte .

The game was drifting along and totally failing to excite by this time.

The 85^th minute saw `handbags` break out to our left as Madden seemed to take on more or less the entire Rovers line up. He was well wound up and got booked for his trouble.

The brouhaha probably did nothing for County`s concentration as within 2 minutes they leaked another goal - Saunders` cross from the left, and Apters recycling of same allowing Jennings a routine finish , and bringing more agony for County.

We were 4-0 down and that margin did not flatter Rovers at all!

Into added time we went with County gamely trying to get something from the wreckage of their day- Madden closest but twice seeing efforts fly wide.

There was of course time for another Hinchliffe save at the death to save us the indignity of a 5-0 drubbing.

At 4-0 the score was massively disappointing- Rovers deserved the win we deserved no more than we got from the game!

We got back on the Flyer to hear that Mansfield had lost again and we were still top of League 2, whilst Wrexham beat Notts County and now have renewed hope along with a game in hand.

It does not need a genius to realise we are not at our best in response to a situation that can only get more complex and dangerous should we not sort a run of decent form from somewhere.

It`s just not the time to be swanning off to Gillingham but that`s what we will be doing come Tuesday.

Some of our best moments in our history have materialised when the chips were down, and we were not expected to produce the goods- it`s not impossible that Tuesday will be one of that type of experience!

Be there and be able to tell your grandchildren about it!

Tranmere Rovers line up:-

Mc Gee , O`Connor , Davies , Turnbull , Connor-Wood , Apter , Walker , Hendry , Morris , Jennings , Saunders.

Subs not used: Murphy , Hawkes , Jolley , Dennis , Yarney , Mc Alear , Norris.

Stockport County line up :-

Hinchliffe , Cass ( Touray 46) Byrne , Bennett , Bristow , Croasdale ( Collar 46 ) , Evans ( Hippolyte 80) , Sarcevic , Powell ( Madden 60 ) , Olaofe ( Wootton 60), Bailey.

Subs not used : Smith , Richards.

Attendance : 7882 ( 2000+)

hedgegrower

A few images from hedgegrower`s phone......