Beveren'ding Story

Lewes FC host KSK Beveren in the FENIX Cup at the Pan Sero

The Rooks are back in European action facing Koninklijke Sportkring Beveren from Flanders who visit the Pan Sero on a surprisingly dry night in East Sussex. It has been raining so much that we are glad that the Pan is drained so well. The pitch looks better that most league 2 pitches at this time of the season. These two sides met in Belgium in December with the Rooks winning 3-1. There are a good number of Beveren fans here and they have brought some fireworks with them. They love a bit of Pyro at the Pan so set off all sorts of firecrackers and smoke bombs at the top of the bank before kick-off 🧨🎆♥. The visitors tonight look very young but we hope they can put up a good show against the athletic Rooks. The yellow and blue kit is a bit bright but the keepers navy and gold looks good.

The Rooks are energetic from the kick off. The ball is in the back of the Beveren net on 4 minutes after Tommy Wood (maybe) bundles home after a scramble in the box ⚽. The Rooks waste a host more chances with most going wide. They are dominant and controlling all over the pitch. Great to watch is No. 7 Ola Ogunwamide who has great pace and good feet skipping past the defenders. Still more chances missed, not by much, they are not being reckless but just not quite on target. Somehow just single goal divides the teams at the break as the players leave pitch and climb the steps.

Back at it and the Reds still dominate and score again on 58 from Ola Ogunwamide ⚽ who has switched from right to left wings at the break. The third comes from Marcus Sablier on 78 ⚽. It's a great shot from outside the box and gets a big deflection before flying past the keeper. Ryan Gondoh slots it home on 84⚽ for the Rooks fourth. The visitors have brought on some subs and they look as young as the rest of the squad except the striker that is built like The Chief, except with hair.  A dominant display by the Rooks as it finishes 4-0. 

The Rooks are off to Italy. They are top of the group despite one game still to play. They still have a visit to Oslo to look forward to once the season re-starts in Norway. The venue for the finals has been announced and it will be on the shores of lake Gada in May. Sounds lovely. Wish we were going✈. It was very one sided tonight which can happen when different leagues meet but it was a good game and the Beveren fans were really good fun. Singing mostly in english, they made a good amount of noise.

POTM: Goes to the Rooks no. 7 Ola Ogunwamide, he was great to watch flying up the wing and dribbling in and out with great feet. Ryan Gondoh seems to be the fan favourite judging from the response to his goal.

Scranometer gave a 3/10 for the hot chocolate. Very disappointing for somewhere that does such good food. Will try the other stall next time.

 Hopefully back here before too long and see you somewhere soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Love the Pan❤️

Getting the badges in

Pyro at the Pan

Reds verses Yellows

The Fools On The Hill

Tranmere Rovers away to Forest Green Rovers In EFL League 2 at The New Lawn

The Rovers face the Rovers on a sunny February day at Nailsworth in Gloucestershire. Whites seen here in White take on the Vegans, seen here in Green and Black, in a battle for the future of the planet🌍. The visitors are sponsored by Essar who are a Petrochemical employer on the Wirral and the hosts are owned and sponsored by Ecotricity who are "Britain's Greenest Energy Supplier". Last time we (fans) were here was the Norwood "Shuush" goal in the play-off semi-final where a draw took the Whites to Wembley and and up to League 1. We were big rivals back then but that seems to have dissipated since the departure of Mark Cooper. Their dark arts have disappeared too with his departure although Christian Doidge, a nemesis from back then, has returned to the Club on the Hill recently. Hope he has a shocker. There is no sign of Ross Doohan after they paid a lot of money for him. They have an emergency loan keeper today but it's not to cover for Ross as he is back up in Scotland. The Greens start today in 2nd bottom, 6 points from safety and just a point above Sutton who are bottom.  They don't seem to have won since 1972 when Rob Edwards left. Hope we don't start the fightback for them today🤷‍♂️. Whatever happens, we not expecting a repeat of the pitch invasion especially as we now know how they fertilize the grass🚽.

The match starts but looks like a stalemate from the off. Tranmere are playing long balls and aimless crosses into the tall defenders. There are 3 defenders round Robbie every time the gets the ball. The midfield is toothless to break through and it looks like it might be goalless. The Vegans don't read that script and score in injury time just before the break. Worse time to concede but there had been warnings when we hadn't been clearing our lines quick enough and allowing time and space on the edge of the box. It was a great strike from just outside the box and Luke has no chance. Hope we come up with a better plan at the break🙏.

If there was a change of plan, no-one noticed. Saunders gets a good chance but it's saved. Same for Robbie. There isn't much more of interest until the last 10 minutes when the Whites start to ramp up the pressure. They dominate for a while but are still toothless despite the return of Luke Norris for the last 30 minutes. The home team are reduced to ten men but the breakthrough doesn't come. The darks arts put in a brief return, would have been disappointed if it didn't happen when they are a goal up. Seems to have paid off as Forest Green have their first win in a long time and Tranmere head back to the Wirral with no points and work to do.

Glad that's over. Not one to be remembered except for the entertainment provided by the home fans. Can't disagree with the "We saw you crying at Wembley" 👏. Long time ago but it still hurts😭. Our best counter was "Wooooaaaaa, You Dirty vegan bast**d " fro the goal keeper taking goal kicks. The "You'll never get a job" is just boring, it's a Liverpool song that you are ridiculing and we might dislike them more than you do. And have actually played against them. The away seating was hilarious. The stand is on top of a container (yes, really) and you can chose from row A or row B. We had a premium view from row A. The disadvantage of being at the front was being able to smell the pitch. They recycle and process the output of the toilets to produce fertilizer but we think they just get the muck spreader 🚜 out when no-one is looking. Will we be back here? It's more likely now they have a long awaited win. Time will tell. Wouldn't mind if these stayed up and Grimsby went down to the bin league.

Scranometer loved the vegan curry pastie 8.5/10 not sure what I ordered as I couldn't hear for the band. The Not Chocolate was ok for being vegan and got a respectable 7/10.

Today was the 6th Anniversary of my first ever game watching Tranmere away to Maidstone in the VNL. What a journey that has been and long may it continue.

See you at Lewes for some European football

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Home of the Vegans

The Boys on their way

Captain Tom

A Grand Day Out

Up next!

There is literaly Another Way

Caught by the Green Devil

SWA have arrived

6 years ago today

Won't Be Pool'd Again

Brighton & Hove Albion Women face Liverpool Women in the WSL at the Peoples Pension Stadium

The Albion face the Prenton Park residing Reds at a very damp Broadfield Stadium.We were thinking that the players would need arm bands just to stay afloat as it's been monsoons overnight   The ground staff have done a fantastic job of making it playable (the going is soft to very soft) especially after Crawley played here yesterday. The Seagulls desperately need some points as they are 2nd bottom again although they have a 5 point gap on Bristol City. Let's hope that today is the day we make some progress. The side isn't much changed from last time out. Pauline is back on the bench so hopefully we will see her at some point.

It's end to end from the start. Terri went close hitting just wide from outside the box and Poppy hit the cross bar from a wide shot/cross. It was hard to get any momentum as the Reds were diving and rolling around and claiming head injuries to break up the play. Poppy goes down after a nasty clash of heads that was deliberate from Kiovisto but escapes a booking somehow. Brighton were trying to play out from the back but always being forced back to Sophie who then had to hit it long to Terri who had no-one near her to pick up the second ball. No score in the first 45.

The second half is even more stop start than the first. Constant diving and rolling around from the RS and playing around at the back from the Seagulls. They are taking risks and the Reds come close to nicking a goal. When the goal does come, it's from more rolling around. The ref stops the game after Kiovisto gets a ball in the face and rolls around like it was a cricket ball not a father lite football. The ref ,stops the game (again) for a head injury and job done Koivisto gets straight up. The ref lets the Reds get in front of the dropped ball forcing the Seagulls to go backwards and they are pressing straight away. The inevitable defensive error comes from Sophie and the Seagulls are punished. It was coming but got a big helping hand from the ref😡. These must have had some coaching from Mark Cooper as the s***housery and timewasting hits new heights now that they are in front. What joy he must be having with head injury stoppages at Yeovil Town in the NLS. Katie got clear of down the wing but Fisk pulled her back and had more of Katie's shirt than she did herself. She is booked for the foul then throws the ball away. Instead of another yellow, the ref books the Captain Fahey for moaning. Both sides makes changes at the hour mark as Laws in the Reds goal has a Zinsberger break. Pauline comes on for Vea and the Seagulls are a different team. Much more positive and attacking. They can't build any momentum though because of the forementioned sh**housery. The chances are coming but the goal won't. Tatiana gets through but is hacked down. Another yellow for the Reds. Terri gets the best chance but it goes wide. She turns provider for Robbo but the ball is behind her. The quality isn't there to finish and even Lee coming on but can't make the difference. The only cheer we get is when Hollands gets a second yellow in injury time and goes for an early bath. Don't use all the water, it's muddy out there. The Seagulls continue to fight but the Reds take the points back to Prenton Park today.

Two poor teams playing poor football. Don't think the soft pitch helped much.  The Seagulls seem to have lost their way progressively week by week since Melissa was sacked. They didn't seem to know their roles in the team. They were clearly instructed to play out from the back but ran out of ideas when Liverpool pressed and then just hoofed it. Bremmer was the diference but she is coming back from injury so maybe on restricted minutes. It looked like a 0-0 draw but for a bit of luck courtesy of the ref. One to forget and move on. International break now so the girls will be travelling all over the world to meet up wit their national teammates.

POTM: goes to our own Guru🏅 , Bergsvand, she was fantastic at the back and doing her best to move the play up the pitch

Scanometer loves the Pizza here 9/10 and the chips in skins 8.5. Need to sleep that off now.

Tranmere up next. SWA♥

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

The sun has come out

Are you watching me on Sky TV?

Should I Steyning or Should I Go Now

Newhaven FC away to Steyning Town Community FC in the Peter Bentley Cup Quarter Final at the Shooting Field

The Dockers ⚓ are away to the Barrowmen  in the Peter Bentley Cup Quarter Final on a wet and windy night in West Sussex. Newhaven are the holders 🏆 having beaten the Crows at Hassocks last May. It about as tough as a game can be a the Barrowmen are flying this year. Looks like we are running out of central defenders as Billy is playing alongside Robbie with Bailey and Reedy out wide. Blunty and Rob are in the middle with Alfie in the 10, Callun Edwards ansd Ryan Warwick in the 7 and 11. Lee robinson is up front. Looks like a good squad although a bit makshift in central defence. Going to be a very tough game and the pressure is on the holders to progress.

Newhaven were straight on it and using the advantage of playing into the wind. They didn't get the first chance though. That went to the hosts who thought they had scored, as did most of us, but the officials disagrred. Still 0-0. Composure regained, Docker Rob M gets chance but it's saved. We think we are going to get on the score sheeet as Lee is tripped by keeper on 35. It's a bit soft but keeper was silly as Robbo was going nowhere. He makes up for by saving Alfie's good but not great penalty. 😢 0-0. Robbo is in the thick of it again as he just beats keeper to a long ball but get flattened in the process. We are all expecting a penalty except Rob Malila who heads the loose ball into the net to save the ref having to make a decision⚽. 0-1. We can't score another and take a slender and precarious lead into the break.

Steyning clearly had the hairdryer treatment while chomping on their half time orange 🍊 segments and were threatening from the kick off. We had to wait about 15 minutes for the inevitable equaliser, 1-1. Dockers had a good penalty shout for handball 👋⚽ after a dangerous long throw from Jon. The ref wasn't interested and it wasn't long before the Docker were trailing after another headed goal on 72. The Dockers had some half chances before the Barrowmen put us out of our misery. It took them a couple of goes to get it in the net with Jake saving the first shot, someone blocking the second but it went in at the third attempt on 90. 3-1.

Dockers came to regret being so "inefficient" ,as Serina would have described it, in the first 45 when they had the upper hand and the wind behind them. The wind was a factor and we didn't capitalise playing with it. It wasn't such an advantage for the hosts in the second half as it dropped off a bit. They managed to motivate themselves. They go on to the semi-finals and we are concentrating on the league. A few games to go still and the promotion push is still well and truly on.

POTM: Goes to Robbo 🏆 whose running in behind made a game of it.

Scranometer loved the hot chocolate from the machine in the Club House which was good, getting 8.5/10, so good that we had to double check☕☕.

All sort of games coming up think and fast now. See you soon.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Misty here

Come On You Dockers

Only 4 subs

Sarri Seems To Vea The Hardest Word

Brighton & Hove Actually Women face Aston Villa Women in the League Cup Quarter Final at the Peoples Pension Stadium

It's a damp and misty night at the Broadfield Stadium as The Seagulls face the Villains, booo, in the first knockout stage of the Continental Tyres Cup 🏆. The Seagulls didn't reach this stage of the competition last season but won the group this season. The Villains nearly didn't qualify having fielded an ineligible player in their 7-0 win at Sunderland. They played Noelle Maritz who had played in the Conti Cup for Arsenal. Muppets 🤡. The result was reversed and Sunderland topped the group. Villa finished second above Man Utd on goal difference. The Red Devils 👿 were not happy with that outcome but it's the Villains visiting the Broadfield tonight. This is the Seagulls first home game since the shocking sacking of Mellisa Philips that took all the fans by surprise. Her temporary replacement is Mikey Harris from the youth set up. We thought she was doing well and making steady progress but somebody clearly didn't. They lost the next game away at Utd but that's no surprise. It will be good to see how they react tonight with a home crowd tonight. It's a familiar line up with Pinto in for Bremmer who isn't in the squad. Vee is on the left and Katie on the right. Terri is up front. We signed a new striker just before Melissa left, Taylor Smith, not Swift, but no sign of her tonight. Poppy flow is left back again, she looked much better last time out, and Emma is on the right. There are a few big internationals in the Villa team. Dutch keeper Daphne van Domselaar makes a start as does midfield team mate Kenza Dali. We have seen Van Domselaar before when she was in goal as the Netherlands battled the Lionesses at Wembley in December. Scotland is represented by the talents of Corsie in defence and Hanson up front. Remember how good Hanson is from Sunderland. Lionesses Jordan Nobbs and Ebony Salmon are in the 11 but there is no sign of Rachel Daly or Lucy Staniforth in the squad. Northern Ireland midfielder Simone Magill gets a start. Canadian Olympics Gold Medal winner Adriana Leon is on the right, up front. Swiss striker, Alisha Lehmann, is on the bench. Other than those, these look easily beatable😄. It's knockout football so it will go to extra time and penalties if the sides can't be separated.

The Seagulls start well and it's fairly open for a while, just without many good chances. The Albion are getting lots of crosses in from Katie and Emma on the right and Vea and Poppy on the left but the visitors are defending well. The lines-person on the far side is awake and flags as Terri runs on the Julia's through ball and puts it in the net anyway on 15. Villa are attacking the South Stand and the lines-person in front of us missed a couple of off-sides from the attacking Villains🤷‍♀️. Brighton are taking some control and take the lead on 35 through a fantastic Vea Sarri left footed strike from outside the box ⚽. Van Domselaar couldn't stop that. The Villains are starting to earn their name though, with them starting to roll around like West Ham players. Jordan Nobbs is quiet 🤫 considering she scored a hattrick last time she was here. Hope she stays that way. The Seagulls retain their narrow lead into the break.

There are no changes at half time. The Villians, pantomime Villians more like with all their diving and dramatics, are more organised and Jordan Nobbs is in the 6 roll, making it all tick. The Seagulls are soaking up a lot of pressure and Sophie has to make some fantastic saves. The Villains bundle it across the line from a free kick that shouldn't have been but it's flagged offside. Phew. At-least one of the officials is still watching the game. They get the reward for their pressure on 69 when a cross is headed home. Boo. Mikey makes some changes and Lee comes on for Vea. Carabali come on for Poppy and they go to 3 at the back with Jorelyn goes to the right of the three and Emma goes left wingback. Lee ♥ makes a difference out on the left wing. She has the best chance of the half on 92 as she get into space inside the box but she curls it just wide. It was a great chance and she should have hit the target and won the game but it's not to be. Extra time here we come. Shouldn't be allowed on a school night.

If the result was to be decided on points, the first 15 would have gone to Villa. Plenty of chances but no goals. The second 15 isn't much different. Lee gets a chance but it's saved. On to penalties, then and sensibly it's at the South End where all the fans are.

Brighton go first which is a good sign. Vicky is first up but it's saved ❌️🧤0-0. Sarah Mayling steps up next but it's saved too ❌️🧤0-0. Lee Geum-Min steps up but she misses to the left side❌️0-0 . Adriana Leon score the first spot kick ✅️0-1. Elisabeth 'Terri' Terland hits it down the middle but it's saved ❌️🧤 0-1. Rachel Corsie has hers saved by Sophie in the bottom corner ❌️🧤0-1. Julia 'Zigiotti' Olme is another victim of a Van Domselaar save ❌️🧤0-1. Anna Patten sticks it in the bottom corner of the net to win the shootout ✅️0-2. Eight penalties taken and only two scored.

So the Seagulls are concentrating on the league, and the FA Cup with Wolves away next weekend in the 5th round. By strange coincidence, Brighton men have drawn Wolves away in the Emirates FA Cup 5th round. Hope they both have success in the West Midlands. It was a good game to watch and we had a good laugh watching the antics of the pantomime Villains. One attacking Villa player, rather than keep running, she stuck her arm out behind her and grabbed the chasing defender before diving. Of course the ref gave it as she did for the rest of their antics. Brighton played well up to attacking the goal when ideas seemed to run out. They were getting crosses in from the by-line but they weren't being met. The progress started under Melissa seems to be continuing but we were very sad to see her go. It hard to get behind the team when a manager that you liked and was doing well is suddenly gone but you can't take it out on the players as it's not their fault and are they probably as shocked and saddened as we are. The penalty shoot-out was very strange with so many being saved. It would be normal to call for the head of the manager to go after such as bad show of penalty taking but it was a bit too late for that. Still should have practiced penalties though.

POTM: It's a difficult one as so many played well. It could be Vea for the goal, Julia was so busy all over the pitch, Poppy had her best game and Lee made a difference when she came on. It eventually goes to Sophie 🏅 for keeping the game level and getting as us far as pens.

The ref wasn't up to much (again, where do they find them) and neither was the linesperson on our side. The ref fell for the antics of the opponents, however theatrical they were. Don't think our lino made a single decision.

Scranometer loves it here. No Pizza today but pie and chips went down well. The rainbow roll 🌈 gets a colourful 7.5 and the chips in skins 🍟here are great and get 8.5.

More cup 🏆action with Newhaven up next.

Love Tranmerekat 🐾

Cup football under the lights