Although they are below us in the table, Tranmere have won 2 and drawn 1 of their last 3 home matches and we know our away form is poor.
Perhaps the combination of losing only narrowly against the league’s top club and recent home form is enough to provide hope, but winning away from home is a difficult habit to develop. We seem able to hold out for a long time, as we did at Stockport, but nerves and the necessary steel to put up an all-out defence to sustain it in the closing stages seems to be beyond us. Ultimately if this is a question of organisation, it crumbles under pressure. They even managed via monumental dereliction of defensive responsibility, to allow Sutton the the freedom to secure a consolation goal. Even the Forest Green win came highly fortuitously and FRG hardly had the time to test our ability to “hold out".
I hope then, but somehow I fear that the yield will be zero points again. Real progress upwards depends on mastering the art of the away win.
So 2-1 with Molyneux scoring our goal, this being on the basis that if he continues to shoot rather than pass the ball to better placed teammates he will eventually score. But really the best way to utilise his skill is to exercise judgment and choose to pass instead of always shooting. Sims was a shining example of the type of player Molyneux might become with a more intelligent use of his talent.
DPL v Tranmere Rovers
posted on 20/10/23
Can't see our away form improving or our injury list. So best to hope for is a draw 1-1 Biggins, Faal
posted on 20/10/23
I've been saying Molyneux to score for a few games for the same reason Donaldo now is saying. Perhaps if I do not nominate him, he will score.
I'll miss most, if not all, of the game, so based on the last game and my absence, Rovers should win! I'll stay positive about a win, but what score? A clean sheet seems almost impossible for us, and with the current form of our strikers and adding in Molyneux, I'll say 3-1 to the Rovers with Molyneux getting the first. If for some reason he does not start, Ironside.
posted on 20/10/23
I'm also concerned about the injury list. However, I'll go for an optimistic 2-1 win with Ironside scoring the first.
posted on 20/10/23
Tranmere 1-1 Rovers
Faal to score ⚽
posted on 20/10/23
Difficult to understand how they could be so dominant for a time in the first half and then fizzle out when Tranmere got back into the game. Fortunately the defence was better than usual (minus Olowu?) and Anderson was dominant.
Faal could not get the better of their centre half for practically the entire game, but his cool finish for goal 2 made up for it.
When they were on top I was thinking promotion, but as the game went on they ran out of steam and looked a bit desperate in the second half, although Tranmere wore themselves out too.
posted on 20/10/23
Did not get home in time to see any of the game. Perhaps I should stop watching any as Rovers have won both games that I've missed! The last 20 minutes must have been nerve racking - probably more so than driving through traffic as I was during that time.
Players must grow-up and stop trying to waste time. I have not seen the Jones incident, and know some refs have gone a little overboard on this, but "professionals" need to be careful. How bad was Grant's incident, or was it ref over-reacting?
I'm a little concerned that Close could not last 90 minutes, but glad Biggins is back. Early last season I was wondering why we had signed Biggins, but he certainly improved later in the season.
posted on 20/10/23
Fortunately Tranmere did not seem to have the energy reserves to make the last bit really worrying - it was more the 50-75 minute stage when they were still up with the pace.
Jones was not really the time-wasting culprit. The outfield players dallied over the free kick and then left it to Jones to take and he had to come nearly to the centre line to take it, so it was him who was booked when it was not him who had delayed.
As for the red card, instead of kicking the ball back to where it went over the touch line GMcC touched it a yard or two in the opposite direction. Pretty innocent really… And he wasn’t allowed in the stand - he had to go back into the dressing room.
For once the defence looked solid with Nixon as #2 centre half.
posted on 21/10/23
Thanks, Donaldo; refs are going a little overboard and are spoiling the game as far as I'm concerned. You and I know what it was like in Division Two back in the early 1950s! The game has changed in many good ways - hob-nailed boots not required for centre-halves!
Am I thinking of Syd Bycroft???
Anyway, glad of another away win, and maybe a home win on Tuesday.