Spa for the course: Rovers 3 Harrogate 2
Two trains of thought emerged from Tranmere Rovers’ game against Harrogate. There were those who were clearly aggrieved that Rovers almost contrived to concede a two goal lead from the point Harrogate went down to ten men, whilst there were those incredulous that some amongst the #SWA would moan at winning three games in a week. It’s perhaps a classic sign of what is the widest open league campaign in recent memory.
The rigours of two hard fought wins meant that there was every risk of Rovers being overrun against a Harrogate team whose form has been better away from home this season. From the start, Harrogate were not only that bit sharper in the key areas, they were also pressurising Rovers’ back line every time Rovers tried to build from the back. It meant that the skilful McPake was able to go exploit Otis Khan’s lack of defensive nous for most of the game without the protection of Jay Spearing or Peter Clarke, who coped with what was thrown at him particularly well on the night.
It was through this mismatch that McPake found himself able to shake off Khan for Harrogate’s long overdue opener and coolly finish past Scott Davies. Yet this was the point in which Harrogate took their foot off the gas, and it allowed Rovers a route back into the game as it helped them to exploit Harrogate’s one weakness, namely defending set-pieces, which ultimately turned the game in Rovers’ favour.
The first delivery, a free-kick from half way in Harrogate’s half, caused a mix up in the box and why it’s unclear whether the ref awarded a penalty to Rovers for a handball that wasn’t, or for Manny Monthé being bundled over as he was about to pull the trigger, it was a penalty either way and enough for Hall to lose his shit at the assistant referee and pick up what would turn out to be a costly yellow after Vaughan buried the penalty down the middle. A few spicy challenges would define the remainder of the half as Harrogate wondered why they didn’t go into the interval ahead.
Like the previous two home games, Rovers started the second half with intent and got their rewards immediately following two corners where winning the first header was enough to cause mayhem in the six yard box. A clever if somewhat scuffed finish from Kaiyne Woolery and a vintage piece of goal hanging from Vaughan gave Rovers the same buffer they needed in their last two games. Then Harrogate found their second wind, which did not relent even when they went down to ten men as Hall pulled back Woolery for his second yellow.
And Harrogate soon found a lifeline as Khan needlessly bundled over McPake, with Thomson delivering a well whipped ball that the fresh legs of Marsh, on for the relatively anonymous Muldoon, reacted to first. Then it was a familiar tale of Rovers being under the cosh until Morgan Ferrier singlehandedly penned Harrogate in their own half during injury time to see Rovers over the line, begging the question as to why Keith Hill didn’t introduce him sooner or instead of Kieron Morris who was ineffective after coming on, yet another familiar tale.
Whilst the acquisition of Charlie Jolley and the departure of Stefan Payne is a statement of intent on Hill’s part, more business needs to be done before the close of this window. With the time left, it seems inconceivable that Hill will manage the imbalance of personnel in his squad, not least where the surplus of centre backs are concerned. In an ideal world, Rovers would be able to bring in a right back and another centre midfielder in exchange for two of those centre backs.
In an even more ideal world, Hill could consider asking his back line to not defend so deep as the ground that Spearing and especially Paul Lewis have to cover in order to provide that link between defence and attack is ridiculous and the main reason for their running on empty over the latter stages. With Morecambe to come, who continue to exceed expectations both in their league position and seemingly getting the best out of Cole Stockton, Rovers may need to ride their luck once again.
