SO MUCH for the magic of the FA Cup infecting Prenton Park.

The world’s oldest and most famous knockout competition had the effect of inhibiting Tranmere rather than stimulating them, and a tame first round exit was the result.

Rovers could not complain about losing to Cheltenham Town on an afternoon when the League Two promotion chasers enjoyed around 60% of the possession and put more than twice as many goal attempts on target as the home side.

Manager Les Parry, marking his 1000th consecutive first-team game in the dugout, would have wanted to reach the milestone in a more positive way than this.

But his experience of around 18 seasons as first-team physiotherapist and just over two years as manager will have taught him that you can never predict what’s around the corner in football – particularly in the FA Cup.

No-one on Parry’s staff could have anticipated a performance as hesitant as this from a side who will owe much of their success in League One this season to a talent for making life uncomfortable for the opposition.

Here Tranmere allowed Cheltenham to set the tempo and dictate the pattern of play from the start. It proved to be a fatal error because the visitors, with a run of five straight away wins behind them, had more than enough confidence and ability to hold onto the initiative.

There may have been some debate about the penalty award that produced the game’s only goal from Darryl Duffy’s conversion on 22 minutes. But not much.

No one could doubt that Cheltenham were value for the advantage they protected by keeping the ball for long periods and defending with discipline and resilience when they had to. Steve Elliott, a centre back with the burly build of a Sunday league player, was a dominant figure.

Cheltenham’s successes on the road have been won with a 4-5-1 formation that gives them an extra man in midfield against most opponents.

They presented Tranmere’s midfield four with a puzzle they could not solve. The home side struggled to build attacks through midfield, to bring their wide men into the game and to give Andy Robinson enough opportunities to get on the ball and create danger.

The problem was more than just about the numbers however. Tranmere were a little too lax in their attention to the essentials of closing down and harrying the opposition and moving the ball quickly.

They backed off enough to allow Cheltenham’s midfielders to control the play for long periods and to get up in support of the lone striker, the hard-working and resourceful Duffy.