Tranmere recorded their first win of 2018 with a hard-fought 1-0 success at Woking, Andy Cook scoring the only goal before later being sent off.
In another game that underlined the abysmal level of officiating in the National League, skipper Steve McNulty was lucky to escape an even more serious injury than the one he did suffer just minutes in. McNulty left the pitch with a large gash in his shin following a challenge for a loose ball and had to be driven back to Wirral for treatment.
The game itself was a pleasing one for Tranmere, with Liam Ridehalgh coming off the bench inside the first ten minutes to replace McNulty and play out of position at centre back. He was excellent alongside Ritchie Sutton, and Rovers used that solid backline as a basis to build out a strong performance.
Again, Tranmere were guilty of missing a hatful of chances, something that has tripped them up this season and will probably continue to do so. But today, they did enough, Cook forcing the ball home following a scramble to take all three points.
While the hosts hit the crossbar with a free-kick late on, Tranmere bossed much of the game and should have scored more, both Norwood and Cook, as well as Adam Buxton, missing good opportunities.
Closing the gap
The win was a vital one for Tranmere given that only three games in the National League were played. Winning the game in hand was crucial, and doing so lifts Micky Mellon’s side to fifth in the table, eight points from league leaders Macclesfield.
Tranmere are back at Prenton Park next Saturday before hitting the road for a tasty looking encounter at Leeds the week after. Early in February, Macclesfield will visit Wirral for what could be a huge game depending on results between now and then.
