Premier League Match Day 2:
On a high from the annihilation of West Brom on match day 1, the team prepared to play away to local rivals Liverpool , the reigning Premier Division champs. This was the first Premier League meeting of these two clubs steeped in history, and one the hosts were overwhelming favourites.
The match started brightly for Tranmere, with several good chances but none enough to beat an in form Simon Mignolet. On 26 minutes Galloway stole the ball deep in the Tranmere half, and floated a hopeful long ball towards Teixeira on the left
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It found the Liverpool right back Skrtel, who nodded it back towards Mignolet.
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But Skrtel did not get enough on the ball, and it dribbled slowly towards his keeper. The young Brazilian Gabriel, fresh from the U20 World Cup which brought him to the attention of the world, put on a burst of speed to find himself on the ball with acres of space.
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Worse was yet to come for Liverpool when Mignolet advanced to tackle, but Gabriel's forward momentum took him swiftly past the hapless keeper to have the goal at his mercy
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1:0 Tranmere, and the Anfield crowd are in shock. The score stayed that way to half time.
On 55 mins Moreno put a fairly harmless looking cross into the Tranmere box, filled with white shirts. Billing took the ball on the hip...
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and it deflected past a diving fon Williams into the Tranmere goal! 1:1
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75 mins, Henderson takes a corner for the hosts and sends it towards a lurking, and poorly marked, Balotelli
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Balotelli's shot was blocked by the Tranmere defence, but they could only deflect it out to the hovering Liverpool players circling like sharks for such an opportunity. Flanagan lined it up.
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And shot straight into a charging defender, but the rebound came straight to dos Santos next to him
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This shot was also deflected by a Tranmere defender, fon Williams this time, straight to Lovren right in front of him
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Lovren hit it on the volley, an amazing fourth shot in a row. Again it hit a defender, this time Daniels (I think) on the back post.
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The ball rebounded back out AGAIN to another hovering Reds attacker, this time Lucas Leiva on the right, who took probably the most difficult shot yet
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fon Williams made the save, but could only fend it off... straight to Rondon sitting on the post.
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With fon Williams lying prone he just had to put it to one side of the defender on the line, and he made no mistake. Liverpool 2:1 ahead, after the sixth attempt in a row! Brilliant work from both teams, desperate defending not quite enough to stop the marauding Liverpudlians.
But the game still had one last gasp. In the 86th minute, Torrano had some space and put in a dangerous looking cross
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It found new transfer Macleod, tightly marked by Flanagan.
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Too tightly apparently - penalty! It looked pretty harmless, but the ref saw something. Towell made no mistake from the spot - 2:2! And that's how it stayed.
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Liverpool had the better of the game, although lots of their shots did come from that one passage of play that led to their second goal. They were significantly better in the air though which is something to consider.
Macleod was PotM
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