Schuey wins the bragging rights

Tommy Schumacher had an extra spring in his step as he set off for work this morning.

Steve Schumacher's old man was still celebrating his son's first goal of the season. And working just over the road from Tranmere's Prenton Park, he was sure to rub it in with the locals.

"My dad will be top dog in work all right," smiled the City midfielder. "It was important I put in a good performance because of the local rivalry with him and his mates.

"I always fancy myself to score against Tranmere and seem to play well against them. Maybe it's because of my dad working over there but I know he'll be enjoying it."

The City feel-good factor is spreading far and wide and another home win leaves confidence brimming ahead of the big one against Huddersfield this weekend.

And nowhere is the change in fortunes better personified than in the team's engine room where Schumacher and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson continue to call all the shots.

Schumacher, as we keep saying, is back to the player who first burst onto the scene at Valley Parade. Full of energy and enthusiasm, he wants to be involved in everything - a far cry from the disconsolate figure who looked a yard off the pace at times last season.

He is clearly relishing the game again, particularly after notching his first goal for nine months to seal another three points.

"It's been a long, long time coming," said Schumacher, who last hit the net at Southend in December. "I've been trying often enough but it just hasn't been going in so hopefully this is the start of a run for me.

"It was a good finish and I must say that! But it was a great feeling to see the ball hit the net and a big relief.

"But that was a big win for us because they were second in the league. Tranmere were happy to come here for a point and the game was a bit flat first half but we raised the tempo after that.

"A year ago, that game would have probably ended 0-0 or even 1-0 to them. But we're positive at the moment, we know we can score goals so as long as we keep it tight at the other end, we'll be all right.

"We were really disappointed at Doncaster because we let ourselves down when we should have had three points. But this was a good performance all round and we deserved it.

"We're going out there knowing we can beat anyone. Even when we haven't played that well, we'll still come in at half-time believing that and maybe that wasn't always the case last season."

City, like Schumacher, have a good record against the team from Birkenhead and are unbeaten in their last eight meetings. But Ronnie Moore, the manager the Kop love to hate, was the last visiting gaffer to win at Valley Parade with Oldham in March. That seems a dim and distant memory these days with City's all-conquering home form since.

It is now 11 games on their own turf without a loss since then and not even Moore would argue that they were not worthy winners on Saturday.

But Tranmere are traditionally a tough nut to crack and it became an exercise in patience before City could finally claim a breakthrough.

The first half was a forgettable affair. Nowhere near as dull as Rovers' last visit under the pragmatic Brian Little in February but the fact that neither side could manufacture a shot on target tells the story.

The closest call came at the City end where Chris Greenacre should have done better ten yards out from Kevin Ellison's skidding cross but drove against the outside of the post as Donovan Ricketts advanced.

Apart from that, and an early panic when Greenacre was given offside when clean through - by the referee incidentally, not his assistant - the home back four never flinched on the way to a second successive Valley Parade clean sheet. See, I told you things at home have changed...

City's biggest attacking threat once more came from man of the moment Jermaine Johnson, who produced the moment of the half barely 90 seconds in.

The Jamaican tracked back to help Nathan Doyle out of a hole in his own box and then just pressed down the accelerator to disappear in a cloud of dust. Jason McAteer, a complete mismatch for pace, was nutmegged by this blur, who then proceeded to carve his way through Tranmere shirts until he was in their penalty area.

All it needed was a decent cross and finish but unfortunately fellow Reggae Boy Ian Goodison's panicky touch back was not quite enough to beat his own keeper.

Goodison's last-ditch tackle thwarted Bridge-Wilkinson after a burst of superb one-touch football before another Johnson run came to a crashing end when he pulled up lame in the centre circle.

He was forced to limp off - and his departure seemed to take the zip in City's play with him.

The passing remained neat and tidy and the defence tight and mean but there were few real sights of goal. Dean Windass, chasing that 200th goal, had a brief one but snatched at a volley.

The game was crying out for a goal and City thankfully provided it nine minutes after the restart.

Goodison's tug on David Graham's shirt a couple of yards outside the box looked unnecessary and Tranmere paid the price. Lee Holmes sent the free-kick through the goalmouth where a diving Mark Bower met it at the far post for his third goal of the campaign.

The goal forced Tranmere out of their defensive shell. Not that it made much difference, taking them until the 73rd minute for Calvin Zola to register the first shot on target with a gentle trundler.

By that time the home side were revved up in top gear and the chances were flowing.

Gavin Ward held a chip from Graham after slick build-up play from Bridge-Wilkinson and David Wetherall found room for a header from a corner but lacked the accuracy to follow the earlier lead of his fellow centre half.

Joe Colbeck prolonged left back Carl Tremarco's miserable afternoon with some intelligent runs. The presence of Johnson has certainly helped the speedy youngster, who seems to be learning with each performance.

His run and low cross was just diverted from the predatory Graham by Goodison's lunge as Tranmere's goal continued to live a charmed life.

The second goal had to come and Schumacher duly delivered. Holmes again claimed the assist with the cross, Graham and Goodison contested for it and the ball dropped loose for the arriving midfielder to cleverly loop over Ward.

Greenacre should have pulled one back but steered a free header well wide before Ward produced two fine saves from near identical one-on-ones to foil Graham and Holmes.

City were finishing totally on top and Windass could have had a third and a landmark goal with a header deep in stoppage time. Six yards out, he put it nearly as wide.

A frustrating end but there will be other chances. The way City are playing at the moment, you can bank on that.