Tranmerekat on Tour: Day Apter Day

Tranmere Rovers away to Sutton United at the VBS Community Stadium in EFL 2

The Rovers visit Gander Green Lane to face relegation rivals the U's just a week after Tranmere beat relegation rivals Forest Green. That win elevated Tranmere out of the relegation zone and dropped put Forest Green into it 😁. Sorry Dale 🤣. The Green have joined the U's on the trapdoor at the bottom of the Football League while Tranmere now sit smugly in the lofty position of 22nd in League 2. Despite the gap, it's still a six pointer today against the struggling U's. Would be a shame to lose Sutton out of the league (or to drop out ourselves for that matter) but let's hope their turn around doesn't start today. It's finally stopped raining but the pitch will be soft. Needs a positive start from the boys to build some confidence and get the Super White Army warmed up. The right footed Wood is at left back again, with midfield demon Lee O'Connor at right back. Davies and Turnbull are in the middle with Hendry and Walker and Connor in the middle. Kieron is on the left with Robbie Apter on the right. The Whites are without Luke Norris for a while so Dennis is up front on his own.

It starts with both sides looking to score and both keepers being called into action early. It doesn't stay like that. Tranmere's next, and second to last, shot on target comes on 17 when Robbie Apter runs into the box on a diagonal and beats the keeper⚽. It is officially awarded as an own goal but we are happy for Robbie to claim it. It does look like it the only way Sutton are going to hit the back of the net today. Sutton get some luck and do actually come close to netting at the other end after some (understatement alert) confusion between Luke McGee and the defence. The U's striker cuts clean though and Luke has to come way out his box to make the tackle. Their striker picks up the deflected ball and takes a shot at an empty net but hits the post🤡. It would have been disallowed anyway as it was flagged for offside. Tranmere desperately trying let the visitors back in back into the game but can't even get that right. The crowd are in good voice and there are a few verses of Tequila ringing out as we are filled with hope, and beer in a few cases. Our hope is misplaced as the Whites seem toothless without Norris. We don't care as "We're winning away" and still a goal up when the ref blows for half time.

The second half was much of the same and we can't get a second goal. Harvey Saunders comes on for Dennis and generates a bit of excitement but here is zero quality up front. The U's keeper is in front of the SWA and the standing area of the away end is generating some noise. There is a solitary bloke in our standing singing all sorts of nonsense. "I'll sing on me own", you're not wrong there mate. The U's were pressing as the clock wound down and levelled from a corner on 88. Inevitable springs to mind with disappointment coming late on again. The Whites are heading back to the Wirral with just a point.

A point on the road and the first away point of the season softens the blow a little but it still feels like 2 points lost. The result was disappointing after going ahead but after the home win last week it's the start of building something 🙏. The performance wasn't great, there was lots of poor passing and head ping pong like two sides that are rubbish at playing football. Tranmere may have been worthy of the win but it would have been a split decision based on the fact that the Whites are slightly less rubbish than the Amber & Chocolate. Conclusion for the day is that we are not very good at all.

POTM: Has to go to Robbie Apter 🏆for getting us excited every time he gets the ball in a dangerous area and his goal even though it was awarded as an own goal.

The officials haven't had a mention so far so must have done ok.

The Scranometer was back and rated the breakfast at Tim's Café in the High Street at 9/10. Service was 10/10. Hope to be back here with both teams still in the league 2 next season.

Back to WSL action tomorrow.

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