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The game started poorly for us. After around 3 minutes we were a goal down as Tranmere flew out of the traps. A ball from the right was headed back across goal and volleyed home from around 12 yards. It was a good finish and gave McDonald no chance.
Our reply was instantaneous. A tidy passing move on the left hand side ended with Giglio slipping the ball into the path of Michael King. He danced into the box, made the keeper commit and strolled past to walk the ball over the line.
We could have taken the lead with a little more luck. A lovely McEneaney ball from the back was just a fraction too heavy for Knowles and he couldn't control it swiftly enough. King also had a free kick from the right wing tipped wide at the last minute after it had swung into the box and evaded everyone. The rest of the half produced very little except for an opportunity right at the end for the visitors but the forward shot just wide at the far post.
The second half began much the same as the first. Tranmere retook the lead within minutes. We shot ourselves in the foot really as a bad back pass was chased down by the winger who won the ball in a challenge with the keeper and recovered faster to give him the simplest of tasks. We then went straight down and saw the ball cleared off the line and over by a defensive header from a corner.
We thought we would gain parity but within five minutes the visitors lead had been extended via a deflected shot. It meant we were facing an uphill battle to get anything from the game, especially considering the fact we only had one up front. Most of our efforts were from long range. Dave Lynch had three attempts and King came closest with a dipper than just didn't drop quickly enough.
A change was needed and so it happened. Hewitt left the field to be replaced by Tommy Taylor who played in a more advanced role. It didn't take long for an impact to be made as we reduced the arrears thanks to a Knowles effort from outside the box. My view was slightly obscured for this as it was at this moment that the steward chose to walk past. Not sure why a steward is needed for the youth games as we're hardly a rowdy bunch, but I digress.
Shortly after Knowles 1st goal came his 2nd, though this one had slightly less quality. Mystic CT called it as a King corner was driven low and Lynch hooked it towards goal. The keeper reacted to save it but his parry went straight onto the knee of the captain and bounced into the net to level the game.
We looked to be in the ascendancy for a moment but then the game took on a basketball style with the teams taking turns to attack. Tranmere scored again with a breakaway goal but we levelled once more and it was that man Knowles again. He read the intentions of the visiting centre half and got to a back pass before the keeper, rounding him and rolling home.
Giglio had a shot deflected wide and Tranmere had two good breaks which were both halted by Curtis Woods. The 2nd brought his game to an end as an accidental hand to the face busted his nose, so he was replaced by Steve Edwards. Lynch saw another long range shot tipped wide and Knowles was unfortunate in injury time as a he ran onto a peach of a ball from Ed Williams, but lost his footing when attempting to lob the out rushing keeper.
It was an entertaining game and perhaps on the balance of chances we should have won, but instead it ended 4-4 and we will settle for the point.
Team:- Danny McDonald, Ed Williams, Jake McEneaney, Curtis Woods (Steve Edwards), Tom Anderson, Dave Lynch, Steven Hewitt (Tommy Taylor), Marcus Giglio, Michael King, Ross Wilson, Dom Knowles.
Subs not used:- Josh Cook, Dean Overson.