Haribo
Joined: 01 May 2006
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sun Aug 20, 2006 6:26 pm Post subject: Tranmere v Yeovil |
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I doubt if many Yeovil supporters leaving Prenton Park, honestly expected Yeovil to win this fixture. On Saturday’s evidence, they probably left disappointed not to come away with a point.
Slades gambit of smothering the midfield and keeping a tight rein on possession yielded Yeovil a marginal advantage in the first half. But whilst his cagey 4-4-1-1 formation afforded a degree of control, it was at the expense of any cutting edge. Gray was left to scurry around for anything remotely resembling a half-chance throughout the game and
the few moments of inspiration invariably featuring some involvement from Cohen.
For all their possession though, Yeovil failed to inflict any real damage in the penalty box, and they paid the price for their lack of a killer touch. Then the home side swept into the opposition danger area for almost the first time and snatched the lead with a smartly-taken strike by Greenacre after Lindegaard’s square pass into space was intercepted.
Yeovil picked themselves up quickly and pulled a goal back nine minutes later with the help of a couple of Tranmere mistakes. A slip from Sherriff and the resolution
of Gray to chase down a lost ball, followed by a fine cross from James resulted in Cohen slotting the ball in from the far left. However, when Slade freezes the video recorder later this week he will ask Welsh, why he wasn’t on the end of the cross and also Cohen why he wasn’t in the centre of the box and what the hell was both Kamudimba and Terry doing so deep when the forwards need support?
Tranmere gradually began to assert control in the second half; yet again Yeovil struggled to turn possession into chances. It wasn’t until the appearance of McAteer a couple minutes after the break when things really tipped in Tranmere‘s favour.. McAteer marked the defensive play of Cohen and the forward play of Kamudimba, releasing Mullin in the centre to run down the flank, this only emphasised the gulf between himself and Terry. This wiped out any affect our two central midfielders had upon the game turning them into spectators and caused our defence problems.
Slade likes his defenders to man-mark, Skiverton had Taylor (tall target man) and Forbes had Greenacre, both players doing a superb job, but a team needs more than two defenders if its midfield doesn’t join the party. Tranmere builds its attacks down the right flank, through Mullian and Stockdale. Welsh is no obstacles which just leaves Jones, who was horrifically exposed all during the second half. Taylor patrolled by Skiverton would move across to the edge of the right side of the penalty box. Skiverton doing his shadowing job, wandered out of position and thus created gapping holes in the left side of defence. Jones was left to patrol the whole of the left side with little or no support from Welsh or Terry.
It signalled what should have been the confirmation of a complete and concerning rout. But instead Yeovil showed some belated spirit. Taylor rose virtually unchallenged and headed the ball to Mullian and a certain goal was denied by Mildenhall. Moments later with the most fortuitous of decisions in Yeovil‘s favour, Tranmere had a clear goal ruled off side. Yep for the fourth game in a row Lady Luck is still with us, but was she one of the few that procured a season ticket, lets hope so. |
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