Play-Offs: Hartlepool v Tranmere – Friday (7.45pm)


By Deadly Submarine
May 13 2005

Rovers travel to Hartlepool’s Victoria Ground this Friday for the first leg of the promotion play-offs with the travelling supporters hoping for a win to take back to Prenton Park for the second leg next Tuesday. The game kicks off at 7.45pm and promises to be filled with drama right from the off.

So will it be glory and ecstasy or depression and despair?  The play-offs is the most exciting and often most nerve-wracking time of the season but now, finally its upon us and Tranmere are potentially 270 minutes away from promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship.  Add in the Friday 13th factor for the superstitious and the first leg of this tie has more spice than the Spice Girls.

 

Tranmere will go into the game knowing that they have already scored two victories over their North East opponents this season but when it comes to the play-offs, none of what has gone before ever seems to matter and its all down to who can hold their nerve.  For Rovers, the advantage of a home tie in the second leg that they gained from coming third in League One will give them hope that even a scoring draw in the first leg can give them a chance in front of their own fans in the second leg.

 

On the other hand of course, having the home tie second may be a disadvantage to Rovers if they return from Victoria Ground having been defeated by a couple of goals as this would be demoralising. 

 

At the start of the season, many Tranmere fans had hoped for automatic promotion from League One and some may still be disappointed that we finished third and missed out on those automatic places.  However, Rovers fans should also not forget our disappointment of two seasons ago when we scored 80 points (more than we did this season) and yet missed out on a play-off place altogether.  To even be in the play-offs and still in with a chance of promotion is something most other clubs in League One would have wished for at the start of the season.

 

Hartlepool will be looking to go a stage further in the play-offs this season than they did last season.  Last season, Pools lost out at the semi-final stage to Bristol City.  A 1-1 draw at the Victoria Ground was followed four days later by a 2-1 defeat at Ashton Gate, leaving Bristol City to go to Cardiff to face Brighton in the final, where they eventually lost 1-0.  They will have to go through the play-off scenario without their manager Neale Cooper who surprisingly left the club by mutual consent last Wednesday with just one league match remaining.

 

Another factor that always counts for much when it comes to the play-offs is form but this time around it would be fair to say that neither Tranmere or Hartlepool are in particularly good form.  Rovers lost their battle for automatic promotion with a few games of the season still remaining although realistically their chances were as good as ended following the 3-1 home defeat to Hull in early March.

 

As the season has drawn to a close, Rovers have stuttered over the finish line including losing their last three games away from home and have only won two of their last six games home and away.  Hartlepool only secured a play-off place on the last day of the season but their form is no better than that of Rovers having won only one of their last six games home and away and having only won twice at home in the last six.

 

In the two League matches between the sides this season, Tranmere came away with three points on both occasions with Chris Dagnall scoring in both games for Rovers.  In the first game at Prenton Park, a Ryan Taylor penalty drew Rovers level just four minutes after Robertson had given the visitors a 1-0 lead but in the second half, Chris Dagnall ran clear to score the winner for Rovers but was immediately given a second yellow card for running in to the fans behind the Kop end goal.

 

At the Victoria Ground in March, Dagnall was again on the scoresheet in a 1-0 win for Rovers that boosted their play-off hopes after defeat at home to Hull a week earlier that had severely dented their automatic promotion hopes.  In the four past meetings over the past two seasons, Hartlepool have failed to beat Rovers with two draws and two Rovers victories.  The goal that Robertson scored at Prenton Park is also the only time Hartlepool have scored against Rovers in the last four games with Rovers keeping three clean sheets.

 

As mentioned above though, the past often counts for nothing especially where the play-offs are concerned.  The word from the Hartlepool fans is that the 960-seater away stand at the Victoria Ground is the best part of the ground for acoustics so if you’re one of the travelling SuperWhite Army, it has never been more important that you make yourselves heard, give the best support you can and let the players do the rest!

 

SUPERWHITE ARMY!!!  SUPERWHITE ARMY!!!  SUPERWHITE ARMY!!!

 

DEADLY’S MATCH PREDICTION: HARTLEPOOL UNITED 1 – 1 TRANMERE ROVERS

 

 

Team News

 

Hartlepool striker Joel Porter (thigh) has missed the last three games for Pools but should be available on Friday as will midfielder Steven Istead and defender John Brackstone who have missing with illness.

 

Tranmere should see Gareth Roberts and Ryan Taylor return to the squad along with midfielders Mark Rankine and Jason McAteer who have been rested for Rovers last two league games.  The only other doubt that Rovers may have had in midfielder Danny Harrison is now also available despite picking up a leg injury at MK Dons last week.

 

Probable Rovers Team: Achterberg, Taylor, Sharps, Jackson, Goodison, Roberts, Rankine, McAteer, Hall, Dadi, Hume.

 

Referee – Mr Brian Curson (Leicestershire)

 

 

 

 

STATTO’S STATS

 

Meetings This Season:

 

Coca-Cola League One (Prenton Park) – August 10th 2004

 

Tranmere Rovers 2 – 1 Hartlepool United

Taylor (pen) 27            Robertson 23

Dagnall 68

Tranmere: Achterberg, Goodison, Jackson, Sharps, Taylor, McAteer, Rankine, Hall, Roberts, Dadi (Zola 79), Dagnall.                                                                                                                            Subs not Used: Howarth, Whitmore, Beresford.

Hartlepool: Provett, Ross (Betsy 74), Nelson, Westwood, Robertson, Williams, Sweeney, Tinkler, Humphreys, Boyd, Porter.                                                                                                         Subs not Used: Clarke, Strachan, Istead, Konstantopoulos.

Bookings: Dagnall and Hall (Tranmere) Nelson and Tinkler (Hartlepool).

Sent Off: Dagnall (Two Cautions).

Attendance: 8128

Referee: Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire)

 

 

Coca-Cola League One (Victoria Ground) – March 12th 2004

 

Hartlepool 0 – 1 Tranmere Rovers

                           Dagnall 53

Hartlepool: Provett, Craddock, Clark, Nelson, Brackstone (Robson 67), Williams, Strachan (Istead 79), Sweeney, Humphreys, Porter, Boyd.                                                                                  Subs not Used: Konstantopoulos, Barron, Daly.

Tranmere: Achterberg, Taylor, Jackson, Sharps, Goodison (Linwood 45), Hall, Rankine, McAteer, Roberts, Hume (Whitmore 33), Dadi (Dagnall 45).                                                                     Subs not Used: Howarth, Harrison,

Bookings: Goodison, Roberts and Sharps (Tranmere).

 

Attendance: 4887

 

Referee: Andy Penn (West Midlands)

 

 

Top Scorers:

 

 

Hartlepool United: Adam Boyd – 27 Goals

 

Tranmere Rovers:  Iain Hume – 16 Goals

  

 

Summary of Past Meetings (Since 2003-04 Season):

 

At Victoria Ground:

 

Games Played = 2

Hartlepool Wins = 0

Tranmere Wins = 1

Drawn = 1

 

At Prenton Park:

 

Games Played = 2

Tranmere Wins = 1

Hartlepool Wins = 0

Drawn = 1

 

Total in All Games:

 

Games Played = 4

Tranmere Wins = 2

Hartlepool Wins = 0

Drawn = 2

 

 

Current Form Guide:

 

 

Hartlepool:

 

Last Six Games – DDWLLD            Last Six Game at Home: LLWDWL

 

Tranmere:

 

Last Six Games – WLDLWL            Last Six Games Away: WDWLLL