Birmingham City 0, Tranmere Rovers 0

Attendance: 19,533

DESPITE arriving less than 20 minutes before kick-off due to severe delays on the M6, Tranmere produced a spirited performance, on Sunday, to earn a vital point . . . but they are still worryingly just one point off the bottom of the Nationwide League Division One.

Huge traffic problems meant that the players had to get changed on the coach! New skipper David Kelly saved Rovers a likely fine for late arrival - he lives near St Andrew's and was travelling separately; a mobile 'phone call from John Aldridge enabled Kelly to hand the team sheet in on time to the match referee.

Said Mr Aldridge: "It wasn't the ideal preparation, but the lads never let it upset them. It's the second time in three years we have been caught in traffic jams on the M6."

Highly rated Rovers goalkeeper Steve Simonsen has had a tough baptism of fire since replacing groin victim Danny Coyne, but remains one of the few Tranmere players to emerge with credit following this season's slump. Simonsen made some truly outstanding saves to keep Birmingham at bay. Despite a torrential downpour, Tranmere battled to earn a creditable draw, and with better finishing in front of goal might have even won it with some swift counter attacking football.

Tranmere: Simonsen, Stevens, Thompson, McGreal, Thorn, Irons, Mellon, Morgan, Kelly, O'Brien, L. Jones. Unused subs: Morrissey, Parkinson, G. Jones.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.