In eight days time, Rovers fans around the country will be tucking into their Christmas turkeys complete with stuffing but as they do so they will perhaps find it hard not to think back a week to the pre-Christmas stuffing handed out by Brentford at Prenton Park today.

 

Rovers once again had a number of chances to score in the first half but they failed to make them count and found themselves 3-1 down at half-time.  Just when the players needed to put in a BIG 45 minutes, they failed miserably and the second half performance was nothing short of a disgrace as they failed to produce any effort to chase the game.

 

After conceding two goals in two minutes just before the quarter hour mark, Rovers pulled a goal back through Calvin Zola.  Just nine minutes later the score was increased to 3-1 as the visitors scored a dubious penalty.  Rovers needed an early goal in the second half to have any chance of a recovery but it was the visitors who got an early goal to kill of the game as a contest.

 

Brian Little was relieved to have both his first choice centre-backs fit after they had been injured in midweek but Chris Greenacre was not so lucky with his fitness and was replaced in the starting line-up by Calvin Zola.  The only other change to the side that started the game at Blackpool last week was the return to the defence of Mike Jackson at the expense of Carl Tremarco who had to settle for a place on the bench.

 

In the first ten minutes, Rovers could have had at least one goal and possibly more although it was Brentford who registered the first shot of the game inside the first couple of minutes.  In this case the word shot is used in a very loose sense as Ricky Newman hit an awful shot that went out for a throw-in after Rovers had given the ball away.

 

After getting off lightly, Rovers came into the game and should have been ahead just a couple of minutes later when a Gareth Roberts corner was met by Mike Jackson but his header crashed off the crossbar, hit a Brentford defender and eventually fell for Zola who blasted wildly over.

 

After Ian Goodison had failed to make the most of a bouncing long ball forward that confused both the Jamaican and the Bees defence, Calvin Zola fired another chance at goal which was palmed away by Nelson in the Bees goal.

 

Rovers were soon made to pay for not taking their early chances when, after 12 minutes, the visitors scored with their first real chance as the home defence seemed to be caught napping.  The danger looked to have been cleared but when the ball was pumped back into the Rovers penalty area, Ricky Newman was left in too much space and unlike his earlier chance, this time he buried the ball past Steve Wilson to give the visitors the lead.

 

Just two minutes later things got worse for Rovers when Simon Francis was harshly penalised for a foul just outside the Rovers penalty area.  Jay Tabb stepped up and curled the ball past a somewhat static Steve Wilson to double the advantage.

 

Stunned into silence, the Prenton Park faithful saw more agony in the aftermath of the second goal as first Jackson struck the woodwork for the second time in the game, this time the post, before Roberts had a curling shot palmed over for a corner by Nelson.  Rovers also had a penalty appeal turned down as the ball appeared to strike a Brentford arm after Zola had had a shot.

 

Rovers got some reward for their efforts on 23 minutes when Calvin Zola fired home from six yards after a scramble following a Gareth Roberts corner to give the home fans some hope.  Three minutes later, Zola almost scored again before the striker set up a good chance for Ian Goodison which was eventually gathered by Nelson.

 

Just after the half hour mark, the game was effectively over when Wilson was left exposed by a forward ball and when the goalkeeper collided with Lloyd Owusu in the penalty area.  Almost inexplicably, the referee pointed to the penalty spot and Wilson escaped with just a yellow card.

 

Kevin O’Connor converted the penalty but there was still time in the first half for Facey to have two further chances, the first of which became Tranmere’s third chance of the game to hit the woodwork.

 

A chorus of boos at half-time made the feelings of the home fans clear but the reality was that Rovers had had almost three times as many chances as their visitors but had not made them count.

 

Rovers came out for the second half needing an early goal to keep the contest alive but instead the visitors had a fourth within eight minutes of the re-start.  A neat combination of passing by the Bees saw Jay Tabb set up Lloyd Owusu for an easy finish to grab his fifth goal of the season.

 

Brian Little opted for 4-3-3 when he replaced defender Ian Sharps with striker Steve Davies but it was to no avail as a dismal and dull second half saw Rovers offer little hope that they would get back into the game.

 

Sam Aiston replaced the injured Calvin Zola with just over ten minutes remaining and although he combined well with Jennings towards the end, the midfielder could not find the target.

 

The 4-1 defeat leaves Tranmere in further crisis and Manager Brian Little appears to be in ever increasing danger of losing his job if things do not improve.

 

A disappointing crowd of just over 6,000 saw today’s poor showing and the attendance is likely to be less than half that when Rovers face League Two side Carlisle United in the LDV Vans Trophy at Prenton Park on Tuesday night.

 

 

Tranmere Man of the Match

 

Delroy Facey:  On a terrible day for Rovers Delroy Facey and Mark Rankine again worked hard with Facey putting in great effort when Rovers did attack and therefore scooping the award.

 

 

The Team Line-Ups

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Tranmere Rovers: Wilson, Francis, Sharps (Davies 56), Goodison, Roberts, Jackson, Jennings, Rankine, Harrison, Facey, Zola (Aiston 77).

           

Substitutes Not Used: Palethorpe, Tremarco, Linwood.

          

Brentford:  Nelson, O’Connor, Sodje (Mousinho 76), Turner, Newman, Brooker, Owusu (Peters 80), Tabb (Lewis 75), Hutchinson, Gayle, Tillen.

           

Substitutes Not Used: Campbell, Bankole.

           

Booked: Wilson and Harrison (Tranmere)

 

Referee – Clive Oliver (Northumberland)

 

 

The Gaffer’s Verdict…

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Brian Little’s View of the Match (Speaking to the Official Website)…..

"I was disappointed at half time as we had five or six good opportunities to score in the first half. To only score one was a big blow to us. We hit the post, the bar and their keeper has pulled off good saves.”

"We made too many mistakes defensively. In the middle of the park we struggled and got carved open time after time. Once the fourth goal went in it was curtains, and it was a long half hour. They saw the game though really well and made it difficult for us.”

"In fairness to Mike Jackson, he has been injured and he hasn't trained much with Ian Sharps over the past few weeks. But I said to them at half time that they should still be doing better than they were. In fairness to them they tried, but it never worked. It never looked right at the back. When I put Ian [Goodison] in there at the end he looked more composed. It was a bad day for the defenders. Striker wise we did quite well - Del and Calvin did especially well in the first half.”

"We came into today's game very upbeat and ready. But if you concede goals the way we have done it will destroy your belief."

"You're always under pressure our position in the league and you're under pressure if you lose 4-1 and the fans are giving you flak. But I understand that and don't deny them the opportunity to shout at me. They have paid their money and want to see us do well. As long as it doesn't go on when you are outside the gates and in your private life that's not a problem.”

"I'm determined to put it right. If I'm told not to, then fine. But I came here to try and do things well and I see no reason to turn my back on it. My determination is to be here on Tuesday to try and win."

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