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Tranmere Rovers 2 |
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Wycombe Wanderers 1 |
Tuesday 30th September 2003
Football League Division Two |
It will be the events after this match that will grab all the headlines but it was a tragic own goal by Danny Senda eight minutes from time cost Wanderers the chance of stealing a point a more at Prenton Park. Rovers, who had sacked Manager Ray Mathias the previous Saturday, had taken a deserved lead four minutes before the break when Eugene Dadi headed home following a cross from the right. the home side then wasted numerous chances to extend the lead with Wanderers creating little with an initial 4-5-1 formation and then 4-4-2. Lawrie Sanchez went for broke by switching to a front three for final 20 minutes and it appeared to have paid off when substitute Andy Bell fired in a equaliser on 78 minutes after a cross by Senda had been flicked on by Andy Thomson.
Fellow substitute Richard Harris then missed a glorious chance to stick in a winner when he shot straight at Rovers 'keeper John Achterberg from a good position. Disaster struck on 82 minutes when Senda inadvertedly knocked the ball over Talia's head after Rovers had played the ball across from the right wing.
Within an hour of the final whistle Wanderers' Board of Directors issued a statement via the official website that Lawrie Sanchez had 'departed' the Club.
For the record, Wanderers, for some bizarre reason playing in all red against Rovers in all white, started the game brightly with Simpson going close after 4 minutes and a Cook delivery three minutes later saw Gavin Holligan waste a chance in front of goal.
However, the home side gradually got on top and Frank Talia was forced into a good save on 17 minutes when he pushed away a Daniel Harrison free-kick. There were further chances in quick succession for Tyrone Loran and Simon Howarth before Rovers took the lead when Dadi headed home.
Richard Harris replaced Charlie Mapes at the start of the second-half as Wanderers reverted to 4-4-2 but Rovers continued to have by far the better chances in front of goal. However, after those chances went begging it looked like Bell's strike had given Wycombe a lifeline. Harris's miss moments later came as the home crowd started cries of 'Sack the Board'. Then in an ironic twist of fate, Senda's blunder meant it was the Wycombe Board who were doing the sacking.
Final Score - Tranmere 2 Wycombe 1
Wycombe: Talia, Senda, Thomson, Branston, Vinnicombe, Bulman, Mapes (sub HT Harris), Simpson, Currie (sub 70 Ryan), Cook (sub 70 Bell), Holligan - subs not used: Oliver, Williams
Bookings: Cook (unsporting behaviour 23), Bulman (foul 56), Ryan (foul 79)
Scorers: Bell (77) |
Tranmere: Achterberg, Connelly, Roberts, Loran, Mellon, Haworth, Nicholson, Dadi (sub 67 Hume), Taylor, Harrison, Dagnall - subs not used: Hume, Jones, Howarth, Linwood, Jennings
Bookings: Loran (foul 5), Dadi (foul 44), Taylor (foul 83)
Scorers: Dadi (41), Senda (own goal 82) |
| Referee: Mr Phil Prosser |
Attendance: 6,847 (58 away end) |
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