Middlesbrough's season of unfulfilled promise and largely unheeded lessons was effectively ended last night when they succumbed to lower division opposition for the second time in just four days.
With his club's supporters now on the verge of open rebellion, it may well be a question of when, rather than if, the Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson decides to call time on his five-year reign.
In contrast, Tranmere are now just one step away from Wembley. Their march onwards and upwards has been a highly-impressive vindication of manager John Aldridge's oft-stated belief that he has built a team which is capable of playing its way, rather than muscling its way, out of trouble.
If the Middlesbrough defence was weakened by the loss of Gary Pallister and Colin Cooper, so too was the Tranmere forward line, leading scorer Wayne Allison ineligible after playing for Huddersfield in the competition's opening phase. Certainly, Allison's aerial prowess was sorely missed particularly as the most potent weapon in the Rovers armoury is the long throw of centre-back Dave Challinor.
Having ruled out a Robbie Mustoe effort after just 20 seconds for apparent hand ball, referee David Elleray was similarly unsympathetic six minutes later when Christian Ziege forced the ball over the line.
With Paul Ince recovering from surgery and Paul Gascoigne also missing, Middlesbrough asked much of Juninho but the Brazilian looked lost and listless amid so many journeymen.
Even so, he should have moved his side in front when a grim opening half yielded its first chance of any note after 32 minutes.
Having collected Brian Deane's cross from the left Juninho drove in tamely, his shot being cleared off the line by Reuben Hazell. Then, astonishingly, a goal for Tranmere. From Bryan Robson's perspective it was a sorry mess, David Kelly arriving unannounced to turn in Andy Parkinson's low cross.
There was a good deal more purpose about Middlesbrough's post-interval football, a recovery in fortune which quite often seemed sufficiently spirited to sweep Tranmere away.
Juninho began to seize opportunities and with Phil Stamp's enthusiasm proving to be highly infectious the visitors moved smartly back into contention.
Juninho almost restored the status quo after 53 minutes when he grazed the top of the cross bar with a nicely-weighted shot.
But the entertainment was to come late. After Parkinson had scurried almost 50 yards to double Tranmere's advantage with a fine solo goal, Ziege set up a rousing finale when he steered in low and hard with 11 minutes remaining.
Tranmere: Murphy (Achterberg 60), Morgan, Challinor, Hazell, Roberts, Parkinson, Jones, Henry, Mahon (Allen 82), Kelly, Taylor (Koumas 90). Subs: Not Used: Frail, Hume. Booked: Morgan, Kelly. Goals: Kelly 39, Parkinson 71.
Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Stockdale (Campbell 74), Vickers, Festa, O'Neill, Mustoe, Juninho, Ziege, Stamp, Deane, Ricard. Subs Not Used: Beresford, Gavin, Maddison, Armstrong. Booked: Stamp, Juninho. Goals: Ziege 79.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
