It was a busy week in the world of esports for TRFC eSports with the PS4 side finishing their VPG Championship South season and the Xbox team competing in a pre-season tournament.
PS4 team
VPG Championship South - TRFC esports 3-1 Valhalla eSports
Valhalla took the lead early in the second half when a through ball was lashed into the top right corner by one of the Valhalla strikers. Valhalla up until that point had been the better side and the goal was very much deserved.
However, just after the hour mark the PS4 side were level. Chris Murtagh flicked on a corner and Nathan Ley acrobatically volleyed into the Valhalla net.
Ten minutes later, the PS4 side took the lead. Murtagh once again flicked on a corner but this time it was Marcus Meredith who was on hand to volley home from just outside the six-yard-box.
The PS4 side wrapped up the points with two minutes to go, Nathan Ley smashing the ball home after running onto a Marcus Meredith pass.
VPG Championship South - TRFC eSports 0-0 Alliance Project
The PS4 side almost took the lead with ten minutes gone but Marcus Meredith saw his volley rattle the crossbar with Nathan Ley unable to turn in the rebound. The next chance came just before half-time, Curtis Aaron shooting straight at the goalkeeper on the turn.
Alliance had their first real chance of the game just after half-time when Jona smashed an overhead kick over the Tranmere crossbar. The same player was involved again two minutes later, teeing up teammate Name, who forced a good save out of Tranmere goalkeeper AutoKorrect.
Rovers went close to going ahead on the hour mark, Curtis Aaron unfortunate to see his shot flash across goal and wide of the post. The PS4 side battled to find a winner but the game ultimately ended in a stalemate.
VPG Championship South - TRFC eSports 1-2 Kingslayers FC
Kingslayers started brightly and took the lead inside the first three minutes. Shevchencko found space on the Tranmere left and brilliantly found the top right-hand corner of the Rovers net.
Rovers levelled on 18 minutes. Good work on the left ended with Marcus Meredith playing in Curtis Aaron and the winger swept the ball home from eight yards out.
Needing a win to continue their promotion push, the PS4 side pushed for a winner but were caught out on the break in the 79th minute. Brown played a sublime through ball to Tom Smith, who manged to find space inside TRFC right-back Gillespie, and the winger expertly smashed the ball past AutoKorrect to give Kingslayers the win.
VPG Championship South - TRFC esports 1-5 Elite
Rovers took the lead early on in this promotion grudge match. Curtis Aaron latched onto a through ball from Marcus Meredith and steered the ball past the onrushing Elie goalkeeper.
To say that this was as good as it got for the PS4 side would be an understatement as Elite, who had won their previous 16 games, ran riot.
Elite’s first goal came after seven minutes, a shot from Baker deflecting off Chris Murtagh and wrong-footing Rovers keeper AutoKorrect. Baker was the main on target again in the 28th minute to give Elite the lead. The striker beating Murtagh in the air to head a cross into the bottom left corner of the Rovers net.
With five minutes gone in the second-half, it got even better for Elite. A shot from Kross deflected off Rovers midfielder Ben Dixon, allowing Elite midfielder Nero an easy tap in at the far post.
Some fantastic play on the right with 15 minutes to go saw Elite make it four. Baker, who ran the show for Elite, played a lovely through ball for Mario who slid the ball through the legs of Rovers keeper AutoKorrect.
Elite wrapped up the scoring in injury-time, a slick corner routine ending with Nero volleying past AutoKorrect at the near post to make the score 5-1 to Elite.
VPG Championship South - TRFC esports 1-1 Farmers eSports
The PS4 team looked to end the season on the high when they took on Farmers esports. The first chance of the game came just before half-time, Rhys Conroy seeing a header well saved by the Farmers goalkeeper.
Ten minutes into the second half, Farmers had the chance to take the lead when AutoKorrect brought down Pridmore for a penalty kick. The American goalkeeper managed to redeem himself moments later by saving the resulting penalty. From that save, John Warrington collided with Pridmore with the referee pointing to the spot again. However, AutoKorrect was once again the hero, saving the resulting penalty.
The PS4 side took the lead with seven minutes to go when Tranmere top goal scorer Rhys Conroy headed in from Keith Burke’s back post cross. It looked like Tranmere would hold on but Kadinator popped up in stoppage time to equalise for Farmers and rescue a point.
TRFC esports PS4 News
The PS4 side finished the season in third place in the VPG Championship South and secured promotion to the VPG Premier League, the highest tier in the VPG leagues.
However, following the end of the PS4 season, manager Marcus Meredith and assistant Shane Dempsey have decided to move on with Shane taking the manager's job at Strabanimal esports. We thank them for all their hard work over the course of the season and wish them all the best.
On a more positive note, we're delighted to welcome Arron Dellosa, Jake Warner and Paul Quinn as the new managerial team of the PS4 side of TRFC esports.
They'll be taking over in the VPG Premier League and bring valuable experience to the PS4 side, including Champions League winners’ medals.
Xbox team
Pre-Season Tournament – QPR eSports 2-3 TRFC eSports
The first match of the tournament saw the Xbox team go up against their QPR counterparts. They were awarded a penalty in the 6th minute when Harvey was taken out by one of the QPR defenders after having a shot which was saved by the QPR keeper. Dylan Law stepped up and smashed the ball down the middle to give the Xbox team the lead.
QPR levelled after 19 minutes, CrazyBoi finding Bobby Jr inside the box, who turned before firing a shot past Batt in the Rovers goal. QPR took the lead just seven minutes later as they turned the game on its head. A long-range Martial shot shook the woodwork with the rebound falling to Bobby Jr to fire home his second of the game.
Rovers were back in the game just after the half-hour mark. Lawrence found Law inside the box, the striker having time to turn before lashing the ball into the QPR net. QPR keeper Green got both hands to the ball but was unable to keep the ball out of the net.
Tranmere took the lead and ultimately the win just before the hour when Lawrence fired in from just inside the box from Skinner’s knock down.
Pre-Season Tournament – Prowess eSports 4-3 TRFC eSports
The second game of the tournament saw the Xbox side go up against Premier League opposition, expecting to lose the game. Despite this, the Xbox team took an early lead when Harvey found the net with just six minutes on the clock. Prowess levelled soon after, Unesipho finding the bottom left of the Rovers net from 12 yards.
Rovers were unfortunate to go behind in the 25th minute when a shot from Richarlison hit the post before rebounding off Lawrence and into the net for an own goal. The Xbox side didn’t give up and were level just before the hour when Morgan headed in a cross from the right.
Prowess took the lead just after the hour, Richarlison showing great strength to hold off a defender before finessing a shot into the top left-hand corner of the goal. The Xbox team continued to fight though and levelled not long after. Stephen Belt played a lovely ball over the top for Dylan Law to run onto, the Rovers striker making no mistake from inside the box.
Unfortunately, the Xbox side couldn’t hold on for a point, with Prowess finding a winner late on. Unesipho crossed the ball in for Richarlison and the Prowess striker rifled the ball into the top corner of the net to give Prowess the win.
Pre-Season Tournament – Gravity eSports 2-2 TRFC eSports
The Xbox team went into their final group game knowing they had to win to go through and things looked good in the 35th minute when they took the lead. Striker Law latched onto Jonathan Harvey’s layoff to smash past the Gravity keeper.
Rovers made it two just after the break when Dylan Law showed great feet before firing the ball past the Gravity goalkeeper. However, Gravity grabbed a goal back two minutes later when Dance volleyed in from the edge of the area.
The Xbox team did their best to hold onto their lead but were undone by a lovely free-kick routine in the 88th minute. The free-kick was chipped to Smurfy on the right, who headed the ball across for Allen to bundle home and level the match at 2-2.
Unfortunately, the result meant that Tranmere bowed out of the Xbox pre-season tournament on goal difference. A fine effort considering the opposition they were up against.