Center-back Peter Clarke scored a late winner as coachless Tranmere Rovers upset League One Accrington Stanley in FA Cup first round
Rovers, temporarily under the reins of Andy Parkinson and Ian Dawes, quickly took the lead after Corey Blackett Taylor’s fine solo goal at 13 minutes
Stanley was back in action after a string of COVID cases saw their last four games postponed and upgraded shortly thereafter via Colby Bishop
As the tight deal was about to go into overtime, Clarke’s header clinched the 17th team victory from fourth place
The first chance fell to the visitors after Scott Davies escaped a Joe Pritchard corner and the ball fell to Bishop, whose close effort deflected wide
But Stanley had engaged men up front and this left them vulnerable to the counterattack Blackett-Taylor traded passes with Otis Khan, the early replacement for an injured Paul Lewis and led threateningly into the left channel with little resistance
And from there he was able to find the far corner with an impressive bass finish
Provider Khan then had the opportunity to score himself after Michael Nottingham failed to clear Kieron Moore’s cross but his seven-yard strike was knocked back around the post by the Chelsea player Nathan Baxter
He was left spoiling his failure in the 25th minute when Nottingham was able to deliver after Liam Ridehalgh failed to close him The cross was met by Bishop at the back post, and Davies couldn’t stop his header from slipping over the line
Tranmere came close to regaining the lead before the interval as Morris intercepted a clearance, played a brace with Liam Feeney and struck the top of the crossbar from the edge of the box
Indeed, the League One team were in the lead for around 20 minutes, but Tranmere started to reassert himself
Khan worked Baxter after an orderly affair with substitute Kaiyne Woolery and Manny Monthe almost enjoyed a scramble after a corner kick
And with five minutes of normal time remaining, they regained the lead Clarke, only about thirty seconds after heading closer with a header, came home from Feeney’s corner
Rovers, a surprise package in last season’s competition, handled the late pressure well to secure progress
He might have been on the losing side, but Pritchard stood out, especially early in the second half.The left midfielder came back and diligently defended when needed and looked like the man capable of inspiring victory in Stanley
That was until John Coleman chose to replace him at 60 minutes. Maybe there was a fitness issue, but it was a raised eyebrow at best and a costly mistake at worst
Tranmere Rovers FC, Accrington Stanley FC, FA Cup, EFL League One
World news – GB – Tranmere Rovers 2-1 Accrington Stanley: consecutive victories for the Rovers’ goalkeepers
