The Latics played the game in a confident style which was full of vigour and they never let Tranmere get into any sort of rhythm. It was Athletic who were causing problems with a constant build up of penetrating football that was only let down by the lack of a proven goalscorer, one which I am sure will be remedied by Sheridan. It was a direct opposite of the previous seasons fixture where a free-flowing Tranmere ripped apart Ronnie Moore's Athletic. The only threat from Tranmere came from the danderous runs of Chris Shuker who looked menacing every time he got the ball. Ironically, he turned down the Latics to move to Prenton Park and again the Latics end was full of fans who took pleasure in letting him know how they felt every time he got the ball.
The only goal came after 25 minutes when Shuker again ran at the Latics defence and whipped over a right wing cross that was headed on for Greenacre to head over the despairing dive of Les Pogliacomi. This was to be a test for Sheridan's new team. Would they crumble? Would they be down-hearted and throw in the towel? Would they heck! They went on to continually frustrate the home side with a purposeful performance of football which they can be proud of. As Tranmere constantly played the high ball (sound familiar?) the Latics kept the ball on the ground and maintained most of the possession throughout the game. Tranmere did have another chance late on but the effort went wide.
It was blatently obvious that the Latics are crying out for a 20 goal a season man to replace the departed Luke Beckett but the method that the visitors employed gave the massive travelling army lots od confidence in the ability of the team. It was a pleasure to watch and considering that this is the first game that the team have played together, and with new faces making their appearance, the future looks promising. Sherdian has instilled a belief in the team, something that has been missing, and it is obvious that the team enjoyed the occasion. They will build on this performance and will get better as time goes by.
The only down side to the game began with just two minutes of reguar time remaining on the clock. It was a bizarre ending to any game as the Latics had two player sent off and finished the game with nine players. The first to go was sub Chris Taylor who had only been on the field for two minutes. It happened after a tackle was pointed out by the linesman. The second player to go was young full-back Neil Eardley who had had an impressive game with some penetrating overlapping runs down the wing. He was dismissed in injury time but he is definitely one to watch for the future as he is coming on in leaps and bounds.
The lack of discipline shown near the end must have been a disappointment to Sheridan and is one area where the players need to work. On the up side, the commitment and enthusiasm was commendable. It's a fine balance and one which must be tackled by the Latics coaching staff. The fans left the game feeling somewhat disheartened with the result but elated by the way that the new team played together. It was particularly noticable that there were no boo-boys and everyone felt confident for the coming season. If this type of support can be maintained, particularly in home games, the Latics will have a successful term providing they have the rub of the green with injuries and luck.
Thanks Shez. The future is blue – help paint it.