I'm writing this summary at the end of April, so there's a bit to catch up on. This will be a bit of a condensed summary - I got a bit overexcited with the game progress last night, and didn't want to break to write the story!
Anyway, the team progressed very well throughout the second half of the season. January started poorly though - after a fairly ordinary December we lost 2-0 away to West Brom on New Year's day, and lost 1-0 to Liverpool at home as well. I took the team aside after that game and told them not to let their heads drop - we were at risk of sliding down the table, and our forwards were out of form.
They took the team talk as I had hoped. From that point we went particularly well, and have been unbeaten at home. Highlights include a 2-0 win over City and a 5-2 win over Arsenal. Arsenal was ahead 2-1 at half time in that game, and I gave the team a roasting. They were undone by two quick goals in the middle of the second half, and then they went looking for an equaliser, leaving huge defensive gaps which we exploited to score another two.
We have only lost once in the Premier League since January, a close 1-0 game to Everton away. We drew 2-2 against Chelsea as well. To be honest the teams we've played have been easier than in the first half of the season - of the big teams, we have beaten City and Arsenal, but lost to Liverpool and drew with Chelsea. Man U has been the best team in the game at the moment, and we havent had to play them yet. But overall it has been an excellent run.
In the cup we've had a relatively easy run compared with previous years:
4th round vs Brentford (Championship team) - we easily won 4-1
5th round vs Everton - a harder game, Everton actually dominated possession and shots taken, but we were more accurate with our chances - they had 3/10 on target, we had 4/8. Stockton scored the winner in the 89th minute - a bit of a let off really.
6th round vs Norwich - the first game was a 1-1 draw away. We had many more shots on target - 7 to 2, and they played with 10 men for 30 minutes, but we couldn't find a winner. The replay was in Prenton Park where we have been unbeatable, and so it worked out here - we won 2-0, with 11 shots on target vs 4, and we had 57% of possession.
The semi-final was against Newcastle. They are 7th in the Premier League.
The game started brightly, as usual, for Tranmere. In the 13th minute we had a corner which Da Silva took, a short one to Torrano in the 6 yard box.
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Torrano lofted a pass in to Galloway at the spot
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Galloway nodded it down to Gabriel sitting right in front of him - easy shot from there, 1-0
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(side note - the patch notes suggested that corners should be harder to score from - I'm still getting most of my goals this way)
15 mins, Macleod found himself just outside the box in a 3 on 3 situation. Gabriel and Kent are closely marked in front of him, but he is in some space
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He plays to Gabriel in front of him, who can't shake his marker. He pushes the ball back to Galloway, who spreads it right. The Newcastle defence has not tracked back with the Tranmere wide players, and Tranmere has an overlap.
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The ball falls into Torrano's path, who plays a lovely weighted pass into the space between Gabriel and the keeper. The Newcastle defense cannot keep up with Gabriel so it is a foot race to the ball between Krul and Gabriel.
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For some reason, Krul does not even move so Gabriel finds himself with the ball all alone.
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Bit of a strange one, in the end Krul would have had to move about 2 steps forward to get the ball. Anyway Gabriel does not miss from there, 2-0.
39 minutes, Tranmere free kick. Da Silva send it into the crowded area.
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Newcastle defenders got to the ball and headed it clear, and the midfield charged out. The ball only made it to a Tranmere player, and a few passes later Galloway found Torrano in a much cleared out box - half of the Newcastle defence had moved out in counter attack.
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Three defenders collapsed onto Torrano, leaving Galloway free to make a run into the box... uh oh.
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Yes that Newcastle defender realises his mistake and rushes back to close off Galloway. He's too slow though, and an unmarked Galloway has no trouble beating Krul from there - 3:0 Tranmere, and not even half time!
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49 minutes, Newcastle corner at the same end. The fans down this end certainly got their money's worth! Aarons sends it in to the box.
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The near post crowd rose for the ball, but it drifted over them
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Da Silva was marking his man very tightly...
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Boakye hits the turf.
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But the ball bobbles into the path of Caceres, who has a shot - goal!
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3:1. Newcastle saw an opportunity and kept pushing, but on 57 minutes Galloway found Torrano in some space at the edge of the penalty area
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Newcastle defender Emanuelson didnt like the look of that, and took Torrano out with a slide tackle from behind.
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Penalty! Should have been a red in my opinion, but he only got a yellow card. Da Silva makes no mistake from the spot. 4:1 Tranmere.
62 minutes, Newcastle is now throwing everything into desparate attacks. Cleverley (now a Newcastle player) finds himself in a good position.
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He feeds a clever pass to fellow former Man U player Nani who is loosely marked by an injured Man U reject Fabio just outside the area.
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Nani unleashed from there, a speculative shot at best
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It was a rocket though, and beat our young keeper Glover at the back post. The score is 4-2, and 20 minutes left. Surely we can still close this out?
Just after the kickoff, Sweeney tried to find Gabriel with a long pass.
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For some reason Gabriel retreated from the ball and it found Coates instead
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He belted a great long ball forward, and found Ings with heaps of space.
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Looks like he will be one on one with the keeper, but Ake is speeding back and he will need to hit it quickly.
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Ake does a brilliant sliding tackle to block the shot, and it goes for a corner.
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Tranmere dealt with the corner easily. In the 82nd minute they put it beyond doubt. Huge holes appeared in Newcastle's defence as they desperately sought goals, and Kent scored off an overlapping wide run - a straight forward goal to make it 5-2, and a big win for Tranmere.
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No surprise that Gabriel is PotM. Stats were also very one sided.
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Chelsea beat Man U in the other semi, to set up a cracking final, a replay of last year's game but we have a stronger team now... could go either way.