It wasn't City best performance, the game effectively won by half-time and a poor half-spirited Tranmere not really presenting any significant challenge saw to that, but they fully deserved the win, scored a couple of beauties and fans beamed as they saw Earnie turn on the style, Peter Thorne score at last with a great double and a cult hero, Rhys Weston, round off the evening with his first competitive senior goal. What a night!
The build up (kicking off at 5:35pm for the live tv audience) took some getting used to as we sat in the pub or made our way to the ground listening to all the other scores and results coming in first. It also put a little more pressure on City to get victory as Bristol City, Oldham, Crewe, Blackpool and Brentford all won away which meant City had dropped to 5th by kick-off time. A little cruelly, 10 man Wigan snatched a last gasp equaliser at Luton to rob City of the chance of returning the top of the division (unless they won by 7!).
The different pre-match build up was capped by 2 cup draws (we were drawn away at 91st in the league Exeter in the LDV trophy during the morning) then, just 15 minutes before kick-off, the FA Cup draw took place with just 5 of the 64 balls remaining when City's name was pulled out ... only to play away at Tranmere, the side we were about to face and the team who knocked us out of the FA Cup on the home ground last season! It's incredible how these coincidences always happen.
City had one enforced change - a Gareth Whalley injury giving Layton Maxwell his first start of the season (in the eyes of many fans, he was long overdue the opportunity anyway). The playing formation didn't change though, Maxwell played central and rarely went wide right leaving Rhys Weston to run that side of the pitch on his own - a job he does admirably and effectively. For someone still adopting to a new role, his progress is outstanding, there surely isn't a better player in that position in this division. It had been much touted that Jason Bowen would return to the team, possibly starting, but there was no sign of him.
Tranmere came to Ninian Park having a mixed bag of a season. Firmly cemented in mid-table having had some big wins (including a morale midweek LDV Trophy 5-0 hammering of Third Division leaders, Hartlepool) and big defeats too (the 6-1 loss at bottom of the table Mansfield being the most staggering). They must hold some sort of record too after firing a manager (Dave Watson) following a heavy pre-season defeat!
They are in some turmoil with the club for sale, a couple of their bigger players have been sold to balance the books (Jason Koumas to the sub's bench at West Brom, the most significant). For Bluebirds links, ex-City striking hero Simon Haworth is in the middle of a 4 game suspension having been sent off twice already this season while ex-Jack Jason Price was injured. We still had a Jack to pick on though, Tranmere have one-time target Christian Edwards on loan (he may have wished he wasn't having been tormented by his fellow Caerphilly boy, Earnie). In attack, they had Adam Proudlock on loan from Wolves, a player with happy memories of Ninian Park having scored a pre-season winner for the Molineux club in a pre-season friendly for whom he scored a winner in a pre-season friendly last August.
The combination of the weather and live tv cameras everywhere you looked reduced the crowd to 12,096 (both clubs reputedly get £10,000 from Sky for the game being televised live but City's tv income was effectively wiped out by the lower than usual attendance, it doesn't seem right). The crowd were in excellent voice all night though, the atmosphere was fantastic. The small Tranmere support, looking like a group Gospel singers in their white shirts, were never heard and must have felt intimidated. Ex-Wales and City manager villain/failure Bobby Gould (but he loves City and got us Gabbidon so I forgive him everything!) was the Sky pundit on a specially built podium between the Bob Bank and Grange End. He wouldn't have dared go there a couple of years ago, he probably wouldn't have survived either!
City were determined to put on a powerful show for the cameras and with Lennie demanding a big win, they set about their task from the off. Tranmere had 4 giants in defence but once City got amongst them and had them turning, they were always in trouble. Earnie nearly got a first minute breakthrough but scuffed his shot. Then Layton Maxwell, showing how he adds drive and an extra dimension to the team nearly broke through twice - a cross volley in the early minutes bringing a parried save which luckily for Achterburg, Tranmere's Dutch keeper, fell to a white rather than blue shirt.
He was closer again on 10 minutes as he showed superb technique to hammer a 20 yard volley through a packed area and inches past the helpless Achterburg's far post before Tranmere had their first goal attempt, City indecisiveness allowing Proudlock to volley wide. Back came City though who were so close as Earnie got behind the last defender from a corner and header against the bar as a ball bounced in front of him. Danny Gabbidon looked certain to score as the rebound came his way but couldn't get his body over the ball correctly and pulled his effort wide.
Like many visiting sides, Tranmere's game was based on survival. Seven players defending deeply, a sole attacker and City having to be patient to prise them open. Cardiff's passing and movement was generally very good but there were occasional flaws in the passing and options taken, Kavanagh being the worst culprit of the night with a series of misplaced passes followed by apologetic waving of his arm to team-mates, his corner taking was poor too. There were at least three occasions in the match when he played terrible passes across goal defending deep that found opposition players. A better attacking side than Tranmere could have taken advantage of the gifts presented to them. Some observers keep telling us that he will find his form and show his true class but it's taking a very long time, isn't it?
The only time City looked in any danger was when they made mistakes. A few players slipped on the very greasy surface which was also injecting pace into the game, Gabbidon also made some careless early errors before he settled but you always felt the goals would come.
It took half-hour to open the account, Tranmere's keeper virtually became an extra defender as several times he raced out of his area to clear, once skidding and carrying the ball outside it too). The game settled after City's blistering start and it needed some luck but how the crowd loved seeing Peter Thorne score his 2nd league goal of the season (his last was against Port Vale in the 2nd match of the season).
Leggy receiving the ball wide left showed his typical finesse as he cut inside a Tranmere defender, his attempted pass across the area was cut out but the ball ran to Layton Maxwell who instantly despatched it to Earnie clear in the area but wide. Earnie cut in then drove across goal, PETER THORNE was first to react turning the shot against the post from 6 yards but the rebound hit him and flew back in. Ninian was bouncing!! (Sky tv replays showed City enjoyed some fortune as Earnie was a yard or two offside as he received the ball and the rebound may have been an own goal hitting Thorne's marker rather than Thorne himself but we all know who will claim it and nobody is going to argue. A well deserved goal for Thorne, whose fantastic work for City, hasn't been appreciated by all fans (ignorance or lack of knowledge must be the only reason) in the past couple of months.
Leggy's role in the build up ended in him suffering a leg and back injury and a minute after the restart he was substituted for Chris Barker whose Werewolf Legs (a-wooooooo!) were a reminder that Halloween is around the corner!
Having got the lead, City almost carelessly gave it away. Neil Alexander ran out to chase a through ball but came too far and head to head away, the ball fall to a Tranmere defender whose quick lofted ball found Proudlock looking certain to score but his header was turned over excellently by Alexander to atone for his error and make his only save of the night. The corner saw a Tranmere defender get up unmarked at the near post and narrowly miss, it looked as if it had gone in from the Grandstand for a moment in a similar style to Paul Rideout's 91st minute equaliser in the corresponding game last season.
Grateful for the let offs, City steamrollered Tranmere, the pressure told as The Bluebirds got the decisive second goal they richly deserved. Weston and Maxwell teamed up on the right and as Weston overlapped, Maxwell dummied and went inside a defender charging into the area. He poked the ball into the danger zone, a defender running back handled it, Penalty!
There was no doubt who was taking it - Earnie. As soon as it was awarded, he chased the ball to the Bob Bank touchline and never let go. His technique was cool as you like, he looked over-confident and cocky which was worrying some but that's what his game is all about and it's just brilliant when it comes off. He swaggered to the penalty spot feinting left and right before coolly slotting away inside the right hand post having sent Achterburg the other way, I'm convinced Earnie delayed his shot and psyched the keeper into going early.
The celebration was the Earnie we know and love. He ran to the Bob Bank arms out, somersaulted then picked up the huge sound effects microphone, jumped on the wall singing into it as if he was Elvis then swinging it around and doing the same on the pitch. What a guy, what a star.
To summarise the first half, it was Men against Trannies!
Half-time: CITY 2 TRANMERE 0
Lennie and his players knew that the game was won, City were happy the take the sting and intensity out of the match with the pace noticeably dropping too, it was entirely the onus of Tranmere to show what they were made of and change the game. As it turned out, they really had nothing at all to offer and with City being coolly effective and ultra-professional in the approach, it was statement and tedious in terms of entertainment. Fans hoping City would power on to get 5 or 6 playing swashbuckling football had to settled down to chatting about their plans for the rest of the night instead.
The opening 35 minutes of the 2nd half must rank amongst the poorest quality entertainment seen at Ninian for a long time (and there's been plenty of competition for that!) but it was job done. Support were happy enough with plenty of singing around the ground (who is that nutter in Block F who snag Men of Harlech on his own for the entire 90 minutes!?!?). Tranmere, despite changes, never threatened at any time to get back into the match, Proudlock should have done better than hit one close range effort to the roof of the Canton Stand but, that apart, they were strangled.
City had a couple of half chances, Thorne making Achterburg save in the opening moments of the half, Weston heading narrowly wide. City had several corners, but like many in the first half, they were largely wasted. It's something that needs to be worked on.
Some of the crowd were drifting away when but the match was bogged down with two midfields cancelling each other out. Not surprisingly, the all action Layton Maxwell on a rare outing was tiring so was replaced by Disco Des Hamilton with 12 minutes remaining, going off to a huge ovation. 60 seconds later, it was 3-0 with one of two glorious goals to send everyone away on a high.
A ball was played through the middle to Earnie, Tranmere's main tormentor, who played a superb back hell putting Chris Barker into space. His fantastic far post cross was met by an equally superb text book PETER THORNE finish, nodding downwards right into the corner of goal from where the cross came for his 2nd of the match.
Thorne was awarded the sponsor's man of the match, Earnie got Sky's man of the match - both deserving, yet again, it's these guys who make City stand out although it is very much a team effort. City will have been delighted too by their 6th clean sheet in 12 matches as much as the fact they had now won a match by more than 2 goals for the first time since the glorious 7-1 at Oldham seven months ago.
Buoyed by the third goal and with Tranmere's resigned to defeat, City showed their class in the closing stages. Earnie went off for Andy Campbell, big ovations for both.
The injury prone Derrick (or Des) Hamilton wanted to make an impression and nearly did too with Edwards blocking a shot of his then Achteberg just saving low down as Des beat defenders in the area and shot low across goal.
Bang on 90 minutes, City crowned a glorious evening with a glorious goal. Andy Campbell showing more menace in recent sub appearances tore though the heart of Tranmere's defender. He cut across and laid off a perfect ball as he was cynically scythed by a gasping opponent. Referee Penton (who was superb all night) waited and played advantage when many would have blown and the result was magic as RHYS WESTON ran in and fired the perfect low shot across Achteberg wide from 15 yards which from hammered in off the far post.
It was Rhys' 1st goal in his 76th competitive match, a classic strike. the day before his birthday, all in front on national tv cameras too. He was overjoyed as he ran to the Lower Grandstand, showed the name on his shirt which every supporter loved. Rhys has been superb for City this season, a goal from him has been coming and nobody deserved it more.Wet - He was still smiling and jumping about as the game restarted and knowing Rhys, he probably still is too!
Not the most thrilling match, maybe the final score was a little flattering but Tranmere were well beaten by a side who had that look and focus about them that promotion sides invariably have. The worry for Tranmere is that they have to play us again in 3 weeeks time!
It will send City into a week with two games against teams in the bottom three with a fantastic opportunity to steal some daylight at the top of the table. Other sides will have to work to get their rewards, you get the feeling that only complacency can stop The Bluebirds.
Come on City, this really is your chance!
External reports
BBC Sport
Wales On Sunday
Western Mail