Tranmere Rovers 0, Wanderers 1

IN January Sam Allardyce left Prenton Park at a loss to explain his feelings after his team's non-performance in the Worthington Cup semi-final.

Yesterday he didn't need to say a word. Satisfaction was written all over his face.

There was hint of euphoria, an aura of exhilaration; the sweet scent of revenge was in the air.

In some respects it was disappointing that this manager who rarely misses an opportunity to articulate his true feelings chose not to put his obvious delight into words. For once, he simply let his team's performance and the result speak for themselves. And who can blame him?

Matchwinner Mike Whitlow sportingly denied that there was any special significance to this first victory over Tranmere in eight attempts ... apart from the fact that it was pleasing, for a change, not to have "under-achieved" on a trip to Birkenhead.

"They've always turned us over here," Captain Courageous acknowledged, "but we did our homework a bit better this time."

Yet the warrior-like expressions on the faces of Bo Hansen and the magnificent Mark Fish at the end showed that there was, indeed, something extra special about this result.

And it's as hard to swallow the suggestion that Wanderers laid the foundation for their third successive league win by swotting up on Rovers' strengths and weaknesses as it is to believe that their late arrival and early exit (they had their showers back at the Reebok!) had any effect whatsoever on their opponents.

The significance of the "snub", as one insider described it, was lost on John Aldridge and his players but Wanderers were certainly wound up.

Allardyce didn't psyche out his opponents but he worked a miracle of motivation on his own players!

I believe the manager only needed to remind them of that horrible winter night, when their display - or lack of it - was an embarrassment to themselves, their supporters and to their football club, and he was guaranteed a performance of pride, passion and determination.

For, whatever anyone says and whatever else happens over the course of the season, this victory will be cherished as one of the most satisfying of them all.

Wanderers had a score to settle - with themselves as much as with Aldo and his Birkenhead Boys - and they settled it. Not once and for all because their eccentric behaviour yesterday will surely extend the feud. But, for now, they can savour their triumph and disregard Aldridge's peevish reotort: "If you'd asked me if I'd rather have swapped winning the semi-final for three points the next time we met, I'd have said 'no'!"

He's right. This win could never atone for missing out on a Wembley final but the performance might just erase some of the bitter memories.

It was not a game of good football although the goal - the only shot on target by a Bolton player in the entire 90 minutes - was a gem. Gareth Farrelly's delicately-weighted, precision pass paving the way for Whitlow, who moments before had fallen heavily and painfully on his shoulder, to produce a finish of such finesse it looked outrageously out of place.

"One a season!" the captain joked, poking fun at his goalscoring record.

This was always going to be a needle match and it took just five minutes for emotions to rise with Whitlow and Dave Challinor - he of the Exocet throw - needing to be calmed down by referee Riley. Michael Ricketts was next, getting a stern warning for reacting angrily after a skirmish with Clint Hill.

Twenty-one fouls and 12 offsides (all but one against the Wanderers attack) spoiled the first half and wrecked whatever chance there was of either side hitting a rhythm. The second wasn't much better.

Wanderers had their backs to the wall for long periods but they launched a magnificent rearguard action, particularly after the goal, to prevent any Tranmere player seeing the whites of Jussi Jaaskelainen's eyes.

Aldridge had a case for protesting about Gareth Roberts' late dismissal for a foul on Bo Hansen but he appeared to have a memory lapse when he was asked what Fish had said when he approached the Rovers bench at the end.

"Who's Mark Fish?" he asked, sarcastically.

He had clearly forgotten the towering defensive display that was as inspirational to his team-mates as it was frustrating for his opponents.