Mark Stallard rekindled great memories of THAT 2-2 draw at Prenton Park when ‘Stal,’ surprisingly, rose above the pack to head a Simon Baldry cross past John Achterberg between the Tranmere sticks after just 3 minutes.
However, it took just three further minutes before Simon Haworth had capitalised on a break down in communications between loan signing, Danny Livesey and goalkeeper, Steve Mildenhall as the Tranmere number 9 nipped in to slip the ball home past a furious Mildenhall.
After a somewhat insane opening 10 minutes, the game began to settle and chances began to dry out at both ends with both ‘keepers on the top of their game.
However, when Mark Stallard found himself with half-a-chance which he nearly converted as he saw his lobbed effort drop just wide of the mark.
On 28 an as-ever card happy referee, Mark Warren decided that he would take his chance put his name in amongst the action when he booked Ian Richardson for a 'foul' on Tranmere’s Ryan Taylor.
Stephen Mildenhall was then challenged by the Tranmere goal-scorer, Simon Haworth when he drilled a right-footed volley at goal, a shot which Mildenhall happily claimed.
Ian Richardson, who was having the kind of excellent game that Notts fans have come to expect from the veteran, saw his game cut-short after only 40 minutes when Ryan Taylor lunged in with his feet to give ‘Richo’ a serious [looking] head injury – which is thought to be concussion.
It must be said Taylor should of been giving his marching orders for his actions, which Mr Warren felt only warrented a yellow.
Dearden had to accept that Richardson was not going to play any further part in the game as he was sent down the tunnel on a stretcher with blood oozing freely from the wound. So, out of favour left back, Kevin Nicholson replaced him in a straight swap.
HALF TIME: NOTTS COUNTY 1-1 Tranmere Rovers
Dearden again decided to shuffle the pack as dead leg victim Paul Bolland made way for ‘play-maker’ [?] Darren Caskey.
It only took Caskey 11 minutes before he infiltrated one of his trademark clumsy, late and needless tackles on an unsuspecting Gary Jones, not THE Gary Jones by the way.
On 56 minutes, Simon Haworth clinched his second of the match when he elegantly, for his size, controlled a cross with his chest before striking an overhead kick into the roof of the net to send Tranmere into the lead.
Gary Jones then followed Caskey into Mark Warren’s bulging black book when he upended Darren Caskey after 68 minutes.
Then, after so much criticism from the Notts ‘supporters’, Clive Platt prevailed in an aerial challenge on 71 minutes to scuff a header into the net – silencing many Notts fans who have labelled the 25-year-old striker as, and I quote; clumsy, useless and – well you get the picture.
Stallard was the next to be penalised to crossing with the referee as he was booked for dissent shortly after Platt’s equaliser. He was soon followed by Rovers players, Tyrone Loran and then Chris Dagnell on 76 and 86 minutes, respectively.
In a good spell for Notts Simon Baldry was brought down in the penalty area, but referee Mark Warren again decided to ignore the home fans cries for a penalty.
Darren Caskey nearly clinched all three points on 90 minutes when he curled a right-footed effort into the waiting arms of Achterberg from just outside the area.
Then as the game drew to a close, Darren Caskey was blatantly elbowed in the face but instead of ‘having words’ with the offender he called Caskey over for a lecture.
FINAL SCORE: NOTTS COUNTY 2-2 Tranmere Rovers
And the man who had the most influence of the outcome of the game had to be referee Mark Warren. I feel as though his inadequacy to control the 22 players in front of him was simply a joke – that won’t earn him any brownie points with the Football League.
Apart from that this was a game that Notts could and perhaps should, have won.
Match Ratings to follow.