High-flying Tranmere Rovers were held to a 1-1 draw by battling Fulham at Prenton Park on an afternoon of high frustration for the home fans.
Phil Stant chipped his second goal in as many games to give Alan Dicks’ struggling side a surprise lead in the thirteenth minute and, although Jim Stannard made a couple of smart saves, he could do nothing about Shaun Garnett’s drive that was deflected into his own net by the luckless Gavin Nebbeling.
Stannard saved well from Ian Muir’s free-kick with Tony Thomas and john Morrissey going close, but Fulham were good value for the lead that was created for them by Stant’s chasing of a long ball by Martin Ferney. Disaster struck five minutes before the break when the Fulham goalkeeper fisted away Jim Harvey’s free-kick. Garnett’s drive seemed to be more likely to threaten the corner flag than the goal until it hit Nebbeling and flew just inside the far post – with Stannard helpless.
The second half saw Fulham stick stubbornly to their task and largely keep the promotion contenders at bay even after home manager John King had sent on Steve Cooper and Neil McNab for the final fifteen minutes.
TRANMERE ROVERS: Nixon; Hughes, Vickers (McNab 75), Garnett, T. Thomas, Mungall, Harvey, Irons, Morrissey, Muir (Cooper 75), Steel.
GOAL: Garnett (40).
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Nebbeling (Langley 80), North, Pike, Marshall, Ferney, Skinner, Brazil, Davies (Haag 70), Stant.
BOOKED: Eckhardt, Ferney.
GOAL: Stant (25).
REFEREE: John Brandwood (Lichfield).
ATTENDANCE: 5,211.
