Tranmere Rovers
Very Good Friday as Rovers Crucify Canaries
By Mark Ridgway
April 3 2010
Mark Ridgway reports on yesterday's superb 3-1 win for Tranmere over runaway League leaders Norwich City in Coca-Cola League One thanks to a brace of penalties from Ian Thomas-Moore and a third goal in the first half from Craig Curran......
Tranmere R 3 - 1 Norwich C
Ian Thomas-Moore (pen) 6 Grant Holt 58
Ian Thomas-Moore (pen) 6
Craig Curran 31
Attendance: 6,263
Rovers stunned run away leaders Norwich on Good Friday with an impressive 3-1 win. The hosts raced into a shock 3-0 leader after half an hour with two penalties from Ian Thomas-Moore before Craig Curran added a third.
Hotshot grant Holt netted early in the second half for 10-man Norwich who had their keeper sent off, but they couldn't force a comeback as resilient Rovers held out and could have added more. The result lifted Rovers to 18th place and out of the drop zone, whilst Norwich are still well clear at the top.
There were two changes from the side that lost to Brighton, with Captain Ian Thomas-Moore returning up front for the suspended Andy Robinson. whilst Terry Gornell came in for Bas Savage as a new look strike force looked to shoot Rovers to success meaning the team looked like this...
Daniels
Broomes, McCready, Goodison, Gordon
Welsh, Taylor, McLaren
Curran, Gornell, Thomas-Moore
Rovers started brightly and unfazed by the Norwich travelling fans as Curran forced a corner on four minutes. From McLaren's delivery, Gornell directed the ball goalwards and it struck Russell on the arm.
The linesman was on the ball, raising his flag and alerting the referee, so after consulting his assistant the referee pointed to the spot. Arguably Russell could have walked but he was booked as Ian Thomas-Moore stuck his penalty right in the corner to give Rovers a shock lead.
This lively start created an electric home atmosphere, and the Tranmere fans were in disbelief as Gary Doherty's short pass sent Ian Thomas-Moore clean through. The striker was ice cool to round Forster before the keeper hauled him down in the area and was deservedly shown a straight red.
This forced Norwich to haul off Simon Lappin for sub keeper Declan Rudd and again Ian Thomas-Moore was spot on smashed into the top left corner giving the keeper no chance.
It took 21 minutes for the visitors to register a shot, Hughes shooting wide from range before Holt was sent clean through, he rounded Daniels and looked set to find the empty net before Ian Goodison sprinted back and blasted off the line and his it had so much power it hit the poles at the roof of the kop.
John Welsh then hit two efforts wide of either post as Rovers continued to holds their own before on 29 minutes, Curran broke down the right but his low shot was turned behind for a corner by Rudd.
From McLaren's corner Gornell knocked it towards Craig Curran and despite suspicions of handball the youngster swivelled and blasted in to give the hosts a 3-0 lead after half an hour.
Thomas-Moore then tested Rudd and Goodison then had to clear off the line soon after in a less dramatic manner. Norwich attempting to force a goal couldn't net despite a goal mouth scramble in the Rovers area before Doherty then shot wide and Nelson headed over from another corner.
Thomas-Moore curled just wide and as the half-time whistle went the Rovers players left to a standing ovation.
Half Time: Tranmere Rovers 3 - 0 Norwich City
Norwich added Chris Martin to their strike force meaning they would be leaving themselves short in the midfield for Rovers to exploit.
Martin tested Daniels from range early in the half, which Gornell placed a shot just wide after Curran did well down the right.
Martin then broke down the right and his cross appear to drift out of play before it fell to Grant Holt who smashed home from close range and Luke Daniels was booked for his protests whenhe thought the ball had gone out for a goal kick.
The intentisity was raised even more somehow when Norwich boss Paul Lambert raced onto the pitch to return the ball, something which is obviously not allowed so after much arguing with the officials he and his assistant were went to the stand, much to the joy of the Rovers fans.
This woke up the fans up again and in hindsight it was the best thing Lambert could have done for Rovers.
Gornell then shot at Rudd's legs from a tight angle after good work from Gordon down the left and Gordon himself then went down after a tough tackle from a City defender giving the players some time to calm down a bit.
Curran headed wide and shot at Rudd as Rovers continued to carve out chances whilst Ash Taylor then headed just wide from a Rovers free kick then had a shot deflect wide for a corner.
Joss Labadie then came on for Paul McLaren with just over ten minutes left, and soon after from the substitute's corner, Thomas-Moores goal bound shot was blocked on the line by Chris McCready, denying him a hat-trick.
Wes Hoolahan shot horribly wide on the angle and Thomas-Moore curled a wonderful outside of the foot effort against the post from the edge of the box, being denied a third in agonising fashion.
Welsh shot wide and Thomas-Moore again tested Rudd, before Curran shot straight at the keeper for the last piece of action.
The final whistle went and Rovers fans stood and showed their appreciation for the players and staff for a lengthy period, in what was an unbelievable night to be a Rovers fan.
Full Time: Tranmere Rovers 3 - 1 Norwich City
Ian Thomas-Moore
Not only was he ice cool for his two pressure penalties but he was a menace throughout and ran the defence ragged, deserving a hat-trick which unfortunately never came. Also impressive performances came from Broomes, Goodison, Welsh, McLaren and Curran.
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03/04/2010 13:32
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