Andy Is Cooking Upa Tasty Title Race

MICKY MELLON cut arelieved but happy fig-ure after Tranmere closed the gap to the top of the National League to just two points with victory over Braintree at Prenton Park.

- Richard Garnett

Andy Cook’s 21st goal of the season after the break proved to be the decisive moment in a match that saw the hosts miss a plethora of gilt-edged chances.

Jeff Hughes’ second penalty miss in a week proved immaterial as Rovers held out for the win, but Mellon acknowledged that tension is part and parcel of the business end of the season.

He said: “If you think about the amount of clear-cut chances that we had, with the quality of players that we’ve got, you would think they were nailed on to score them.

“When that happens and you miss a penalty and the stakes – how high they are, with the opportunity to go two points behind the league leaders – it’s going to become a wee bit nervy and about digging it.

“That’s what they’ve done. The crowd today were magnificent; they’ve got right behind us and stuck with us and roared us on to a fantastic three points.