PORTSMOUTH..............3
TRANMERE ROVERS.....2
Tranmere conceded three second half goals in quick succession to fall to a 3-2 defeat against Portsmouth at Fratton Park leaving manager Micky Adams "shell-shocked."
A late brace of goals by Rob Taylor helped Portsmouth come back from 2-0 down to claim a dramatic three points over Rovers.
Celebrations after Tranmere Rovers score at Fratton Park on Tuesday night
The visitors looked comfortable as strikes from Jennison Myrie-Williams and Kayode Odejayi put them ahead.
Substitute Craig Westcarr gave Pompey a glimmer of hope which proved to be the impetus to their impending fightback.
Taylor levelled from close range before pouncing to nod home Dan Butler's corner five minutes from time.
Rob Taylor on the ball for Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night
Rovers pressed for an equaliser late on but they were unable to create a clear chance and went home empty handed.
Max Power on the ball for Tranmere Rovers at Fratton Park on Tuesday night
Adams said the defeat was hard to take: "I'm shell-shocked. A bit of naivety, nerves, poor defending all comes into the equation.
"We're disappointed. For 75 minutes we're well in the game and all that happens is they push three or four bodies against our back four and we couldn't cope.
"It doesn't help having to change your back four. We lost Rob Taylor to a slight hamstring strain and then Josh Thompson with double vision. But having said that we've still got defenders who are capable of doing the job and we've just not coped.
"You've got to stop crosses and we'd done that for 75 minutes. Tubbs and Taylor had had very little joy, but we've switched off, a cross has come in and Westcarr is there on his own.
"It should never happen.
"It's hard to take and it's hard for our supporters to take. I must applaud them for travelling all the way down here and they'll go home disappointed and scratching their heads.
"The first half it was a fantastic performance.
"We silenced the crowd, disrupted them and they've had to change their shape to combat what we were doing."
Rory Donnelly goes on the attack for Tranmere Rovers at Fratton Park on Tuesday night
The manager continued: "Part of the job now is to pick them up, dust them down and get them focussed and concentrated again.
"We've missed out on a great opportunity to push up the table but we move on to Cheltenham now.
"We can still take positives from the game.
"It goes to show what momentum does and what the first goal going in against you does, it gave them a real lift, the crowd started and we couldn't cope.
"We've got to be better than that."
The result left Rovers in 20th position in the league, three places away from the drop zone.
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