Tranmere Rovers 1 Rotherham United 2 - 1936
Too bad I couldnt find the report from when we beat Accrington Stanley 4-1 at Millmoor on this day in 1946...
REVELLED IN MUD
Rotherham Hold On to Hard-Won Lead
AMAZING ESCAPES
Rotherham United arrived on Merseyside in a rain squall. The ground at Prenton Park was in a flooded condition, and It was obvious from the start that the better mud-revellers would win the match. Tranmere Rovers had a new goalkeeper in Lewis, who was signed yesterday from Bradford. Rotherham were as selected, the team being Tranmere Rovers.- Lewis; Platt and Fairhurst; Clark, Amery, and Spencer; Eden, Jones, Waring, Wood, and Almond.
Rotherham United.- Greaves; Ford and Birkett; Curry, Hawkins, and Heelbeck; Reid, Hardy, Brown, Smith, and Pedwell.
Referee: Mr. G Twist (West Houghton)
There was a crowd of about 6,000 present when Waring started for the home side, who had the advantage of an end-to-end wind but faced the sun.
Tha Rovers at once made headway on the left, and Almond placed a perfect centre right to fet of Waring, who looked a certain scorer. The centre-forward, however, failed to trap the ball, and as it spun away from his feet Ford cut across to kick away.
The ball was returned, and Almond, from a sharp angle sent into the side net.
CLEVER AND SPIRITED.
The visitors replied with a clever combined movement between Smith and Pedwell, the former finishing with a centre close to goal which Platt booted away as Brown ran in to apply the necessary touch, Smith, lying well over to the right of the goal. fastened on to a loose clearance. He made a great drive from 20 yards, but Lewis, who had positioned himself well, fielded the ball smartley against the upright.
Rotherham's clever and spirited football belied the shocking state of the turf, and play was quickly confined to the home area.
A quick round of passing between Hardy, Brown, and Smith got the home defance in a tangle, and finally the ball was put to the left for Pedwell to drive in strongly. Lewis flung himself across the goal to effect a brilliant save at the expence of an unproductive corner.
In another combined movement between Pedwell and Smith, the latter sent well over towards the right, but Hardy was adjudged offside.
The game had been going ten minutes when the home goal had a ramarkable escape.
Smith made a centre along the ground, and the ball stuck in the mud as Lewis was advancing to pick up. Brown was thus able to get to the ball first and his shot passed the goalkeeper, but the ball once again stuck in the mud, this time, right on the goal-line, and Fairhurst got back and kicked clear.
WATCH ON WARING.
Tranmere at length made headway, and when Spencer put the ball ahead to Wood he promptly hooked it into the middle. Hawkins was taking no chances with Waring, however. He was in close attendance, and banged the ball behind for a corner. From this Greaves took the ball off the head of Waring to bring off a smart save.
A centre by Almond saw Waring, well over to the left, making a powerfull drive which flashed narrowly wide of the near upright. Both sets of defenders introduced offside tactics, with the result that the game was held up considerably. Pedwell outwitted one trap and went on to make a square, low centre which Spencer kicked away.
Wood, at the other end, similarly got beyond the Rotherham backs and finished with a powerful cross drive which Greaves, who had advanced, gathered at the second attempt. Greaves made another good save from Waring, this time turning the ball behind for a fruitless corner. Tranmere were now having slightly the better of matters, but the Rotherham defence, with Ford and Hawkins excelling, gave nothing away.
DESERVED LEAD.
The game had bean going 34 minutes when HARDY moved in from the Rotherham right and, as Lewis advanced to meet him, he drove into the net very cleverly from an angled position to give Rotherham a belated but deserved lead.
Almost immediately, the Rotherham goal had a narrow escape, Waring got through and made what was intended as a shot, but the ball was held up by the mud as it travelled towards, right hand side of the goal. Eden appeared to have a veritable gift, but floundered and lost speed, and Birkett got across and turned aside his shot for a.corner. Twice in quick succession the Rotherham goal was near to falling, for, with Greaves out of position, first Hawkins and then Ford kicked away from the goalmouth.
Pedwell, who had been a constant source of trouble to the home defence, chranged the scene of operations, only to finish a capital run by driving into the side netting.
At the 41st minute Tranmere got on level terms. Spencer and Waring in turn helped the ball on to WOOD, who scoredd with a great rising drive into the top right-hand corner of the net.
Half-Time:—Tranmere Rovers ....1 Rotherham United.... 1
The game was resumed in lively fashion, and Rotherham at once made headway up the middle, but Brown was crowded out before he could get in a shot.
Jones lobbed the ball high towards the visiting goal. Greaves, who had advanced, could not reach it and the ball dropped against the face of the bar and then on to the goalkeeper’s back, finally sticking in the mud on the goal-line. The horne forwards- not one was up to turn the ball into the net—thought it had actually gone into the goal, but the referee called for play to go on, and Greaves was able to make an unhampered clearance.
25-YARDER FINDS BILLET.
The second half was four minutes old when Rotherham went ahead by means of a surprise goal. Pedwell got the better of a tussle with Clark well out on the left, but when he centered there did not seem any immediate danger, for Smith was well out, and had plenty of defenders in front of him.
SMITH, however, promptly let drive from 25 yards, and the ball swung away to hit the inside of the far upright and go into the net. It was a nasty shock for Tranmere.
Waring went through only to finish by shooting wide after a capital run. He was again in [blurred] shortly afterwards, and this time made a presentation offer to Almond, who hesitated and was dispossessed by Ford.
Tranmere were rather disjointed in attack, but in a measure this was a tribute to the judicious positioning of Ford and Birkett, while Hawkins saw to it that the middle was effectively blocked.
RESOLUTE DEFENCE.
Tranmere made strenious efforts to get on level terms, but Rotherham defences stood up reluctantly to their task and Greaves did heroic work in the mud. The goalkeeper was lucky, however, on a couple of occasions when scoring shots by the home forwards were charged down and again him Wood, a home forward, turned aside a header from Waring to save Greaves a lot of trouble.
Waring was a lively home leader but was out of luck with several efforts.
There was a thrilling incident in the Rotherham goalmouth when a... lob from Clark stuck in the mud on the goal-line. Greaves smothered the ball and was immediately beseiged by the whole of the Tranmere forward line. The referee came to his aid with a bounce-up a yard from goal, but once again Greaves showed great daring by going down among a flurry of legs before the referee awarded a foul against the home side
ResuIt;—ROTHERHAM UTD. ... 2 TRANMERE ROVERS. 1
Star Green 'un - Saturday 14 November 1936
