Mellon savours dramatic win

Posted Sunday, September 22, 2019 by PA

Micky Mellon hailed his side’s never-say-die spirit after Tranmere came from behind in injury time to overcome Burton 2-1 at Prenton Park.

Lucas Akins gave the Brewers the lead from the penalty spot with 24 minutes to go, but Ollie Banks equalised with a free-kick in time added on before Stefan Payne headed home a dramatic winner at the death.

The triumph was only Tranmere’s second in nine league outings this season and left boss Mellon relieved.

He said: “We were forced into a couple of changes through injuries. Second half we looked like a team that had lost two key players.

“Then we gave away a mad penalty and we’re chasing the game. But what you do know about us is that we will keep going. The crowd were fantastic again and stuck with us.

“They know that we will keep going and keep fighting. To win a game in the last minute, when you’re 1-0 down – moments in football like that, you’ve got to fully enjoy.

“I think we needed a win. It was important that we got a victory, I would absolutely acknowledge that.

“We knew we had a tough week with Peterborough and Burton – two teams that you would expect to be up there in the top 10 in this division. To come out of it with four points, you have to be pleased.”

Burton were awarded a penalty when Cameron Borthwick-Jackson chopped down Stephen Quinn in the box, giving the referee an easy decision. Akins made no mistake from the spot, smacking it in the top corner.

But with Albion seemingly on course for all three points, Banks curled home a dead ball from 25 yards out in the 92nd minute before Payne directed a cross into the net – with some assistance from debutant Neil Danns – with almost the last touch of the game to clinch a remarkable victory for Rovers.

A frustrated Nigel Clough said: “Extreme naivety in the last five minutes cost us the game. We’ve given a completely needless free-kick away.

“We bang on to the lads all of the time, don’t give free-kicks away because anyone can step up at any level and put one in the bottom corner like they did today.

“Then you’re under the cosh for the last few minutes, one great cross that Reece Hutchinson doesn’t stop and we end up losing the game – a game that we should have won comfortably on our second-half performance alone.

“The number of opportunities that we created – to only get one goal, which is a penalty – is nowhere near enough reward for the positions we were getting into.”