By George Sanders
Against the odds, mid-table National League side Tranmere Rovers are playing with house money on Tuesday, earning a replay at home in the FA Cup. This comes after drawing 1-1 with League One promotion hopefuls Peterborough United in the first round.
The underdogs could have in fact won the game if it wasn’t for a great save from Rovers ‘keeper Conor O’Malley preserving Posh blushes very late on.
The fashion in which Tranmere played to force a replay added for an even game and can only give Micky Mellon’s side confidence going into the fixture.
Mellon stated to the Tramere club wesite ahead of Tuesday’s match: “We like the team to be adaptable and be able to answer whatever questions the game asks of them.”
Rover’s midfielder Jay Harris, who filled in at right back in their recent 2-0 victory over Dagenham and Redbridge at the weekend, appears to share this confidence ahead of the televised clash: https://twitter.com/TranmereRovers/status/930028309617967104
Peterborough, who were forced to share the spoils in a 2-2 draw in their league game with AFC Wimbledon at the weekend, will still be the favourites in many people’s eyes, and on the betting lines.
It is easy to see why with prolific Striker Jack Marriott, combining with the Posh Manager Grant McCann’s use of a likely 4-5-1 formation, will again prove a stern test for the Merseyside club.
However, if Tranmere can replicate their first round performance combined with the boost of home advantage on their side, they could easily cause an upset on their own turf.