Pools Nowt Tranmere Two

Well at least Wadsworth knows what the problem is. After the game he summed it up by saying it was a canny first half but we lacked leadership in the second half and commited suicide by giving away the early second half goal ..

What we really  lacked was someone in midfield able to seize the game by the scruff of the neck and get someone creativity down the centre of the pitch.

The first half was good stuff. Two sides playing fast attractive football but without too many clear cut chances.

A lively Luscombe had the best chance, and if he had scored after just two minutes, it might have been a different result . Poole dummied a low cross from the left and Luscombe was coming onto the ball at pace but belted his shot at the Tranmere goalie who got his fingers to the ball to tip it over the bar. If the shot had been a couple of foot either side it would have been a goal - but that's the way it goes.

 Right winger Akins didn't make the same mistake just after the restart when he followed up when Flinders had palmed a shot away. The same player was the sharpest to react when our defence allowed the ball to sail over their heads and he nipped in at the near post to toe poke home.

We huffed and puffed in a second half marked by torrential bursts of rain. We weirdly brought on Boyd and Brown for Murray and Wright and even more weirdly persisted in sending in long loopy high balls into a box totally under the control the Tranmere centre backs.

Tranmere are a good side who have some pace, some skill and a pattern of play in which they all appear comfortable. That's what we should aspire to.