TRANMERE ROVERS AND PROMOTION THE HARD WAY by Chris Nee

hat Tranmere Rovers the head by a bottle thrown from the second. What power was possessed by achieved in their 2017/18 crowd. his smart downward header was gener- National League Promo- ated entirely by the scorer. His header tion Final against Bore- Despite Mellon’s tactful playing down of will be one of my most vivid football ham Wood at Wembley the incident after the match, Ginnelly’s memories until the day my salt intake Wwas truly special. On paper it was ten condition might have played a part in and chronic laziness finally catch up men winning 2-1 against eleven. On the growing difficulties facing his team with me. grass it was a triumph over adversity. in the first half. After the match Tranmere were credited Boreham Wood goalkeeper Grant Smith in the media for overcoming the odds. It Having already sacrificed a devastated got a glove to the ball but two crucial was bigger even than that. Larnell Cole to bring Eddie Clarke into factors took it into the net. First, Smith’s his back four, Mellon withdrew Ginnelly weight was heading in the opposite It’s strange to say it about a game in after half an hour. He later reported that direction. Second, Norwood placed the which they were never behind but Tran- Ginnelly was carrying an injury but that header too close to the goalkeeper’s mere came back from the dead. It was a the substitution was tactical. feet. A save would have been one for privilege to be there witness it. As far the ages. as following Tranmere goes I’m strictly A goal up, a man down, and two substi- a part-timer but it was an unforgettable tutions deep into their bench, Tranmere It seemed, at last, that it was Boreham experience. There was pandemonium in coped well. They needed two things: a Wood who’d had the stuffing knocked the stands. It was obvious that it meant half time lead and a substitution left up out of them. The atmosphere in the the world to the real supporters. their sleeve. They got neither. Tranmere end had been noisy all after- noon - with more than a little encour- Despite Boreham Wood’s impressive During six added minutes defender agement from their animated manager play-off wins against AFC Fylde and Ritchie Sutton pulled up with an injury. in the technical area - and it soared as Sutton United they were underdogs The universal sign language for a re- the clock ran down. from the second the final whistle blew placement was deployed without hesita- at Gander Green Lane to confirm their tion and Tranmere’s third change was The celebrations at full time will live semi-final win. They had the smallest made. long in the memory. From Mellon’s pitch average gate in the fifth tier and Tran- invasion flanked by sliding bodies in mere had the largest, a loose but stark An equaliser arrived after seven and a front of the Rovers supporters to the measure of the historical chasm be- half minutes. Boreham Wood got in cheers as the players, management and tween the two finalists. behind Rovers and Bruno Andrade chairman Mark Palios got their hands slotted home a neat finish. The half on the trophy, the emotional impact of With Johnny King at the tiller Tranmere should have ended one attack earlier the game’s conclusion was infectious. had three consecutive shots at the even accounting for Sutton’s injury. It was only afterwards that I learned of Premier League in the 1990s. Shortly I’ve seen thousands of goals in a life- Ridehalgh’s tears on the sidelines as before the third of those play-off de- time of loving football. I’ve never known the game developed. I found it difficult feats for Rovers, Boreham Wood were one deflate a crowd like Andrade’s to watch. He would never have forgiven promoted to the Premier Division of the equaliser. himself if Tranmere hadn’t won the Isthmian League. game. Bodies sank to seats. Chests unpuffed. But with just 47 seconds played of the Heads fell into hands. In that one mo- Those who covered for him put in a 2018 Promotion Final Tranmere’s status ment it became too big a task. The wonderful performance. Eddie Clarke, as favourites was reduced to rubble by situation Tranmere had found them- his direct replacement, was superb. the fastest red card in the history of selves in left them only momentum and Connor Jennings was excellent from the Wembley Stadium. something to defend. They lost both in moment he came on, arguably making the blink of an eye and defiant belief the vital difference between defending Rovers left back Liam Ridehalgh’s loose became forlorn hope for a miracle. for 90 minutes and retaining some kind first touch put his adrenaline in the of meaningful attacking intent. Cook driving seat and his challenge on Ricky I’ll never know how they recovered to and Norwood worked themselves into Shakes destroyed manager Micky win the match. The second half was a the ground and found the scoring touch- Mellon’s game plan before it began. monumental effort, a performance in es that won the match. Cole and Gin- which guts matched intelligence and nelly, substituted for the cause, were With the shadow of the previous year’s good fortune finally joined the party. given standing ovations in recognition defeat on the same stage now looming As far as I was concerned at half time of that fact. large, the feeling among the Tranmere the best possible outcome was that support was that the red card was Tranmere, somehow, would hold out for And Mellon, who came under fire early probably deserved, possibly would have extra time and play some or all of it in the season, somehow adapted his been a yellow in the eyes of a smarter against ten men. plan and lifted his team after the ulti- referee, and was certainly a problem. mate sucker-punch. This was the epito- They made my pessimism look silly. me of a team effort, unequalled by Five minutes later they were in front. The shift they put in to keep Boreham anything I’ve seen in person. In the very Wood to a single goal in 90 shorthand- first minute the Rovers support, players James Norwood lofted in a cross for ed minutes was phenomenal. On top of and manager spontaneously united. Andy Cook, whose header was as it they increased their threat after a That’s what won it. determined as it was unstoppable. more defensive first half and, incredibly, found a winning goal. Boreham Wood might have felt they There isn’t a doubt in my mind that could have done more, that they choked Tranmere would have had to endure a Boreham Wood’s play-off matches so under the pressure of suddenly being very different afternoon had they not far had uncovered a clear weakness - favourites, but this was Tranmere’s day. scored so soon after Ridehalgh’s dis- both Fylde and Sutton had benefited After an unwelcome spell in the fifth tier missal. from a tendency to defend crosses they returned to the Football League badly. Rovers’ 80th minute goal was yet thanks to a performance I’ll never for- In the aftermath of the goal, which was another example. Cook powered in the get. There surely aren’t too many sup- scored in front of Boreham Wood’s first through sheer will to win but Nor- porters in England who’d disagree supporters, Josh Ginnelly was struck on wood was left criminally free for the that’s where they belong.