THE MATCH
For the first time since 1952/53 Rovers recorded a seventh win on the bounce as they defeated Tranmere Rovers 2-1 at Prenton Park courtesy of goals from substitutes Promise Omochere and Yusuf Akhamrich.
Manager Steve Evans (apparently that’s now his title and not Head Coach) made four changes to his starting XI and brought in Kane Thompson-Sommers, Ryan De Havilland, Joe Quigley and Fabrizio Cavegn while Alfie Kilgour, Richie Smallwood, Ellis Harrison and Mees Rijks were the ones to miss out.
While the home side can claim to have enjoyed a great deal of first half possession, neither side created too many clearcut scoring opportunities. Jayden Joseph went close for the home side but saw his free kick deflected behind for a corner.
At the other end Shaq Forde lifted a shot high over the crossbar and Tommy Leigh curled a shot wide of the upright in the latter stages of the half.
The hosts began the second half strongly and there were claims for a penalty after Kaiyne Woolery went down in the box following a corner, but referee Carl Brook saw nothing wrong with the incident and waived away claims for a spot kick.
Zach Obiero then forced Brad Young into making a save from his shot from the edge of the area, before Rovers took the lead with a goal from Omochere, who had replaced Cavegn on 59 minutes. The striker, whose season has been disrupted by injury, took just six minutes to get on the scoresheet when he pounced on a defensive error out on the left, cut inside, and lashed a shot into the top corner of the net from a tight angle.
The lead didn’t last, though, as Tranmere equalised with 71 minutes on the clock when Ethan Bristow crossed from the left and the unmarked Joseph slotted home from six yards.
Undeterred, Rovers hit back to claim a winning goal and maintain their remarkable winning streak and with just six minutes of normal time remaining Akhamrich,
on for Thompson-Sommers, evaded a number of challenges on a mazy run towards goal before hitting a fierce shot into the bottom corner of the net.
What a crazy season this has been; ten consecutive defeats before Christmas left supporters thinking that relegation to The National League was almost a certainty and now, following a managerial change and the arrival of new players in the January transfer window, we have recorded seven straight wins to give hope of a much improved 2026/27 campaign.
WHAT WAS SAID
‘We knew it was going to be a battle. They should never be where they are, Tranmere, with the playing staff they’ve got, and Pete has come in in very difficult circumstances after what was a poor show. So, we always knew it was going to be fine margins, we always knew we would have to use our bench today. But when you look at the bench, it’s pretty impressive with the talent we’ve got on it.
‘Promise showed real heart and aggression when he wins the ball, he cuts inside, and he has a finish you only really see in the Premier League. He has a fantastic finish, and then we switch off, we completely switch off with a goal, we don’t track the runner, we don’t track the second run into the box.
‘I think seven wins on the bounce is a credit to everyone. It’s a credit to all of the staff, certainly credit to the players. They never know when to give up, but as I’ve always said to them, if you play in my team, they give up, they go out of the club. It’s simple, or they don’t play. It’s as simple as that. We want characters here. We’ll go behind in games, we’ll lose games, but it’s how you lose, how you fight. Look at the eight hundred plus travelling supporters today, at the game.’ Rovers Manager Steve Evans
‘I’m feeling really good. Really, really good. Obviously, it has been a difficult few months. Just a difficult time in general. I don’t think people understand how frustrating it is and has been for me. Obviously, coming in with a lot of expectation and feeling like I’d just fallen short. It’s days like today that are the reason why I play football. You can see by the reaction of all of my teammates and the staff, and everybody. Everyone is just buzzing. So, I’m just really happy.
‘I like getting in behind, so when I saw the opportunity to get in behind, luckily, I just poked it past the defender and then it just opened up. So, there’s nothing else in my mind but just to strike it. But luckily it went in and then I went straight for the staff, straight for the physio department. Obviously, Gavin has helped me massively with rehab and multiple injuries. So, it was for both of us, he’s been there through everything. So, you could see by the reaction of all of my teammates, they’ve been unbelievable. I can’t thank them enough. By the reaction, you can see how much everybody enjoyed it.”
‘The Gaffer came in; I felt that he was a bit strict on me. Really, really strict on me. Obviously, you just want to be fit, you just want to be played. He gave me the tough love at the start, I was feeling sorry for myself, thinking ‘what did I do?’ But he’s been great with me. He believes in me and then, even today thrown me in, because I didn’t even think I’d play today. So, threw me on, first sub and then I was happy to repay his faith in me. The Gaffer and Paul Raynor have been unbelievable. Really happy.’ Rovers striker Promise Omochere
‘All three points was what we deserved. We were by far the better team throughout the ninety minutes against a team that’s been right up there. But ultimately, again, I’ve been saying this for four weeks, five weeks I’ve been here now, both boxes we’ve had a million chances in their box today and we don’t take them.
‘Then two times we switch off at their end and we gift them two goals and we’ve defended so well for 90 minutes. So, again, people have got to take responsibility for their mistakes defensively and we have to put the ball in the net at the other end. As coaches, and it’s not us versus them, never ever will it be players versus management at all. But we send them over the white line with ideas, with things that we want from them.
‘They have to go and deliver; they have to go out and score and they have to defend better than them. Otherwise, that’s what’s happened all season, because they switch off at the back and they don’t take their chances at their end. There’s not a lot more we can do as coaches to get them to do that.’ Tranmere Boss Pete Wild
