JANUARY 13 could be looked on as the date when Wanderers fortunes took a turn for the worse writes Sports Editor Peter Mensforth

Second in the table after a run that had seen them win six league games out of seven, the only reverse coming in a 1-0 home defeat by West Brom on December 30, everything seemed geared for promotion and particularly an automatic place.

They were two points clear of the third placed club and in such a winning mood that they even looked capable of catching runaway leaders Fulham.

Yet on that particular date fate intervened in such a way that it sent Wanderers season on a downward spiral.

The game was against Tranmere Rovers when most spectators' thoughts were concentrated on how John Aldridge's team would gain their revenge for the 'dirty protest' that Sam Allardyce and the Wanderers mounted earlier in the season when they left Prenton Park unchanged and unshowered.

Yet although that never came into the equation, another incident did and it could be said that in a strange kind of way, Tranmere, who of late appear to be Wanderers' bogey team, had a hand in the conspiracy of fates that January afternoon.

Breach

The game was going Wanderers' way and there seemed little to trouble them, until the 51st mimute when Jussi Jaaskelainen was injured as he went to collect the ball on the edge of his area.

Even when he went down and was subsequently substituted by Steve Banks, few in the Reebok realised the seriousness of the injury and the repercussions to follow.

Yet as Wanderers collected a 2-0 win, Jaaskelainen was already having a scan on his knee to diagnose the problem.

The news was the worst both the player and the club feared - cruciate ligament damage that would see the Finnish goalkeeper sidelined for the rest of the season.

A 3-0 away win over Sheffield Wednesday in their next game followed by the 5-0 drubbing of Scunthorpe in the FA Cup suggested that Wanderers would cope but behind the scenes, events were being put into motion to try and protect the number one position at the club.

With reserve keeper Matt Glennon out on loan at Carlisle until the end of the season and unable to be recalled, Wanderers needed urgent goalkeeping cover.

Sam Allardyce acted fast and signed Manchester City's Tommy Wright, yet even that brought complications. With Banks suspended following a sending off at QPR, City refused to allow Wright to be cup-tied in the fifth round FA Cup game against Blackburn, thus leaving the club without a senior keeper.

Again Allardyce acted fast and brought former QPR keeper Jurgen Sommer over from the US to step into the breach.

The move suited both club and player, for he was trying to find a way back into English soccer. But it all went wrong within minutes of the game kicking off.

The giant keeper suffered a thigh strain as he went to kick the ball and he struggled for mobility for the rest of the game.

He was unable to get to David Dunn's free kick which put Rovers ahead and although Michael Ricketts grabbed the equaliser it was the start of a sorry string of results that was eventually to cost the side automatic promotion.

Search

Sommer went back to America leaving the goalkeeping to Banks and Wright yet neither could instill the confidence Allardyce felt his defence needed and the search went on for another keeper.

Bradford's Matt Clarke was approached but decided against the move. In the meantime results hardly improved with disappointing draws at home to Gillingham, after the side had led 3-1, and Stockport.

By the Wimbledon game in March, Sam had finally got his man, Bradford's Clarke having had a rethink when Wanderers made another approach just before transfer deadline day and the keeper decided to come on loan until the end of the season.

Clarke then became the fourth goalkeeper used by the Wanderers in the two months since Jaaskelainen's injury but by that time the closing pack were making their presence felt and Wanderers' second position in the table was coming under threat.

In the end they were unable to keep Blackburn at bay and it's play off time again, leaving many of the fans to wonder what might have happened had Jaaskelainen been fit.

In the meantime the keeper has been treated in Colorado at the Steadman Hawkins Clinic with similar treatment that enabled Ricardo Gardner to recover and be back in action within seven months of suffering a similar injury.

It's hoped that Jaaskelainen will be fit for the start of next season but the futures of Banks and Clarke have still to be resolved.

Jaaskelainen reckons he'll be back for a Premiership campaign.

The Reebok fans are hoping he's right!