Tranmere Rovers - 1 (Parkinson 47.)
Crystal Palace - 1 (Hopkin 25.)

Palace went into this match knowing that with four games left they desperately needed points to lift themselves up from the relegation zone. Unfortunately their opponents of the day, Tranmere Rovers, also needed the points in a last ditch effort to save their season. As things transpired they shared the points, and though it did neither side any good, it did have the effect of mathematically sentencing Tranmere to the drop to Division Two. It would appear though, that Palace are very soon going to join them, and Queens Park Rangers, who are also confirmed as relegated.

With only three games now left, and two of those away to fellow strugglers Portsmouth and Stockport who will be just as desperate for the points, we appear to be faced with the task of taking three points next weekend against Wolves, who are the only team that are left with nothing to really play for. Should we achieve this, and Portsmouth happen to lose, then just maybe we might still stand a chance of beating the drop yet.

Tranmere got this match underway, and it was fairly obvious from the start that neither side was going to risk too much that would lead to a mistake and let the opposition in. It was the home side that did make the most of the running though, but the final touches were missing, and the first 20 or so minutes of the game passed by without so much as a real chance on goal. It almost felt as if one could have turned up late for the game, and not really have missed anything, particularly anything of importance.

The game see-sawed from one end of the pitch to the other, but both defences seemed to have the situation under control, and both attacks seemed to lack firepower to score that elusive opener.

All this suddenly changed when Palace made their first real attacking move on goal in the 25th minute. A good through ball from Dougie Freedman found David Hopkin lurking near the area, and rounding the keeper he made sure of his first goal since coming back to the Club. His previous strike, of course, was in the final of the play-offs that took us to the Premiership. Ah, happy days!

Almost immediately following the strike we really should have made it two. A ball played through by Steve Thomson found Clinton Morrison who struck the ball against the inside of the post. Somehow Steve Yates managed to hack the ball away to safety.

A response from Paul Rideout was well saved by Alex Kolinko, then Jason Koumas produced an equally fine save from our Latvian keeper. Despite this continued attack from the Tranmere side somehow Palace was managing to remain firm at the back, and consistent corners were being dealt with. At the other end our only foray for a while fell to Aki Riihilahti, but his effort was well cut out by Sean Flynn. Alex easily dealt with an overhead kick by Jeff Kenna, then Aki cleared off the line and finally half time arrived, much to the relief of both the travelling Palace contingent, and presumably the Palace players.

An inspired half time substitution by the home side saw a goal scored within the first two minutes following the resumption of play. Andy Parkinson managed to get on the end of a Koumas cross, and the ball was in the back of the net before anyone could blink. If you had been late back from the break you would have missed all the action.

Another cross from the right was well cut out by Alex, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that Tranmere were finding it easier and easier to get behind the Palace defence, and at this rate we would soon be facing a deficit in the game.

Palace stepped up the pressure for a while at this stage, but despite a series of corners we seemed unable to score. Simon Rodger floated one corner in that Aki got to, but the latter was penalised for a push on a defender. Our golden moment was about to arrive though, or so it appeared. Clinton Morrison put Dougie Freedman clear on goal, but Clint Hill blocked his shot. The deflection fell to Aki, this shot being blocked by another defender, before Steve Thomson fired his shot goalwards only for the keeper to produce one of the best saves of the game. The corner, of course, came to nothing; when are Palace going to learn to score from these set pieces?

Clinton then forced another good save from Joe Murphy before the tide started to turn once more. Two shots from Koumas and two from Parkinson were well dealt with by Alex, and gradually things were starting to look grim for the Palace players. Despite a number of corners to Palace the Tranmere defence was holding firm, and their raids into our territory, and more alarmingly, behind our defence, were really becoming threatening.

Numerous chances fell to the Tranmere forwards, but once again their final touches were letting them down, though admittedly some of the chances were being cut out at the last line of defence - the keeper. Wayne Carlisle did get a shot on goal, but his effort was so weak the keeper had little difficulty in dealing with the shot.

Both Dougie and Clinton were consistently being caught offside, to the point where it almost seemed that the linesman, now politically referred to as the assistant referee, was running down the sideline with his flag permanently raised! The last 10 minutes or so of the match were all Tranmere, and Palace must consider themselves lucky not to have conceded a second, and thus the game. A ball wide from Scott Taylor, a ball saved at the feet of Stuart Barlow and a header just wide from Parkinson, were just some examples of the pressure on the Palace goal.

In the dying moments a shot blasted over the top by Aki was our only small measure of relief in a hectic last period of play, but Tranmere really should have made the most of their opportunities. They will now rue the fact that the solitary point confirms their relegation, but based on this performance it will not be long before we join them.

Alan Smith will need to really sort things out for the last couple of weeks of the season, but I for one do not envy him the task.

Colin Pryce

Tranmere Rovers: Joe Murphy, Gareth Roberts, Clint Hill, Steve Yates, Jeff Kenna, Simon Osborn, Sean Flynn, Jason Koumas, Micky Mellon (Andy Parkinson 45), Stuart Barlow, Paul Rideout (Scott Taylor 84).

Substitutes not used: John Achterburg, Richard Jobson, Richard Hinds.

Crystal Palace: Alex Kolinko, Hayden Mullins, Dean Austin, Andrew Frampton, Craig Harrison, David Hopkin, Steve Thomson, Simon Rodger (Wayne Carlisle 68), Aki Riihilahti, Dougie Freedman (Ricardo Fuller 87), Clinton Morrison.

Substitutes not used: Mikael Forssell, Gregg Berhalter, Matthew Gregg.

Attendance: 8,119

Referee: Mr G Laws (Whitley Bay)