KEATES HEAPS MELLON MISERY
10-man Dragons roar
BEAMING Dean Keates hailed the application of his Wrexham players after they won at crisis-hit Tranmere despite playing with 10 men for over 75 minutes.
Dragons midfielder Sam Wedgbury was dismissed for a second bookable offence as early as the 13th minute, but Chris Holdroyd grabbed the only goal of the game just before the hour mark.
The fortunes of the two teams in this cross-border derby could not be more contrasting with Keates’ Dragons continuing to exceed expectations.
The Dragons have rocketed up to fifth, just one point off leaders Sutton, but Micky Mellon’s underperforming Tranmere are languishing in 18th and are now the lowest scorers in the division despite the striking talent they boast.
Delighted Keates said: “The lads showed great character. I thought before the sending off we started on the front foot, with the possibility of a penalty early on.
“When the sending off comes, you think it might be a long afternoon but you know what? To a man they were absolutely outstanding.
“We knew we had to frustrate them and we can’t be too open because we’re down to ten men but the lads took on the information and we knew when time was right that we could break with power and pace and we did.
“We needed a bit of luck but the way the lads worked today I think we deserved it and I couldn’t be any prouder of them than I am.”
The visitors wanted a penalty in the first minute when Holroyd got the wrong side of Steve McNulty and went to ground, but referee Thomas Bramall was having none of it.
But the Dragons found themselves in a pickle inside a quarter of an hour when Wedgbury – who had already been booked for a late challenge on Connor Jennings – went in late again on Jay Harris and was sent for a very early bath as a consequence.
James Alabi, back in the Tranmere starting line-up, had the ball in the net for the hosts from a corner, but it was ruled out for an offside infringement.
When Tranmere failed to clear a corner just before the hour mark, Holroyd took his chance and fired the ball past Davies and despite a some desperate balls into the box from Rovers they suffered their fifth defeat of the season in miserable fashion, much to the ire of the majority of the 6,802 Prenton Park crowd.
Under-pressure Mellon said: “It’s a sore one for us because we know how much it means to all of us, these games.
“To be playing against 10 men for so long and not be able to overcome it is disappointing.
“We look low on confidence. It’s my job to fix that, but to not score in so many of the games now tells a lot of the story. We had opportunities today that could have changed the whole course of everything and never took them.
“We’ve got to work hard and show character. We have to fight, all these things that are important. We have to be tough and just get back.”
“We’ve got to work hard and show character. We look low on confidence, it’s my job to fix that” Micky Mellon Tranmere manager “To a man they were absolutely outstanding. I couldn’t be any prouder of them than I am” Dean Keates Wrexham manager