Rovers have won their last eight home games and risen from bottom to 13th in the league - if they continue that form they are in with a chance of the First Division play-offs. It was tremendous," he said. With Mark Hughes expected to be confirmed as the Wales manager soon, Roberts could not have picked a better time to resurrect his career. But now I'm back here and what has happened to me since I arrived has been tremendous. "All I wanted to do after the move was get back home and find myself another club to get playing again, and it's working out just fine. "I left Liverpool because I was only playing in the reserves and there was no chance of getting into the first team. I outgrew it, really. "The move to Greece came up so I took it In hindsight, going out there was a mistake. But you learn from experience and I did have a few months involved in a different style of football and even played in a European competition." Roberts played 15 league games for the Athens club - and also in a European Cup-Winners' Cup tie against Lazio. "That certainly gave me a taste of the big time and I enjoyed playing against them. It is a far cry from how he felt in January when his Liverpool career ended with a £50,000 move to the Greek club Panionios. It was the end of his Anfield dream and the Greek adventure came to an end soon afterwards, leaving Roberts on his way back to Merseyside in the summer - this time on the other side of the river. After Tuesday's 2-1 win Roberts said: "It's all started to go nicely for me. "Leaving Liverpool was a wrench and the Greek move didn't really work out. Gareth Roberts stands on the brink of a Wembley cup final just months after being dumped by Liverpool and abandoning a career in Greece.

Gareth Roberts stands on the brink of a Wembley cup final just months after being dumped by Liverpool and abandoning a career in Greece. The winger Andy Parkinson - also ex-Liverpool - grabbed glory with his wonder goal to send Tranmere past Middlesbrough into the Worthington Cup semi-finals on Tuesday. Wrexham-born Roberts had as much reason as anyone to celebrate, though, as he reflected on the troubled six-months he spent abroad before establishing himself in John Aldridge's blossoming side. The Wales Under-21 full-back has been the key to Rovers' dramatic change of fortune this season, culminating in a sensational cup double over the Premiership sides West Ham and now Boro in four memorable days for the cash-strapped Birkenhead club. Roberts was outstanding against the Hammers in the FA Cup and again on Tuesday to set up Tranmere's meeting with Bolton next month. "I'm just pleased that I am back in England and getting a chance of playing first-team football," he said. Substitutes not used: Crossley (gk), Merino, Allou, Foy. Fulham (5-3-2): Taylor; Finnan (Hayles, 54), Symons, Melville, Coleman (Morgan, 78), Brevett; Davis, Clark, Hayward; Horsfield, Peschisolido. Substitutes not used: Hahnemann (gk), Collins, Trollope. Referee: D Laws (Whitley Bay).. With 13 minutes left, the substitute Marlon Harewood dug out a pass from a tricky spot on the left and John again hit the woodwork, the ball this time rebounding to safety from the underside of the bar. Nottingham Forest (3-5-2): Beasant; Scimeca, Hjelde, Dawson; Gray, Prutton, Bart-Williams, Quashie, Brennan; Freedman (Harewood, 71), John. An endorsement from the club chairman, Eric Barnes, is still fresh on the pages of the local evening newspaper, but nerves in the boardroom will be tested if relegation continues to be an issue in the new year. For the moment, Platt's players cannot be faulted for commitment, as last night demonstrated Luck seemed in short supply, however. Only the finish - a shot straight at Taylor - let him down. Symons missed a chance when, unmarked, he turned Steve Hayward's free-kick wide, but Forest again responded positively.

Freedman, cutting in from the right, found John, whose shot struck the foot of Taylor's left-hand post. Forest's struggle to keep out of trouble has led to much speculation over Platt's future. Forest should have gone ahead on 33 minutes after another of his positive surges. Stern John controlled his cross and set up his strike partner Freedman but the opportunity was wasted. Not until the closing minutes of the first half did Fulham do better than mount sporadic attacks. Scimeca's defensive header almost handed a gift to Geoff Horsfield and then the defender Kit Symons, perhaps surprised not to be ruled offside when Steve Finnan chipped a ball over the top, shot tamely at Dave Beasant. Forest's enthusiasm was undimmed, however, and there was encouragement for a recently sceptical crowd when the midfielder David Prutton, one of a crop of youngsters to whom Platt has been forced to turn, ran at Fulham from inside his own half and dipped a shoulder to leave Andy Melville floundering. After Maik Taylor had saved awkwardly from Dougie Freedman on the near post, Gray's corner led to a sharp volley from Riccardo Scimeca that missed only narrowly. Gray, who came to Forest after George Graham froze him out at Leeds, has been a player short of confidence until recently but injuries have created a chance for him in Platt's side. Fulham, conquerors of Tottenham Hotspur in the Worthington Cup, have shaped as if their prospects of promotion are as realistic as any, yet found their defence as active as their attack. Jim Brennan, the wing-back Platt bought from Bristol City, produced some threatening runs along the left flank, as did young Andy Gray on the other side.

Fulham moved up a place to sixth in the First Division but only after surviving a determined effort by Forest to halt their slide towards the bottom. David Platt's team, who have plunged to 21st in the table after winning only once in two months, will feel they deserved better than a point after the Trinidadian striker Stern John twice hit the woodwork in a sustained second-half assault. Forest did not present themselves as a team in trouble, even though Crewe Alexandra's win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday meant that only goal difference was keeping them out of the bottom three. Fans made a stand-up protest during United's televised 2-1 victory over Derby on 25 October. The club claim to have satisfied the vast majority of those affected with other seats and work is currently in progress to increase stadium capacity to 52,000 by August - but the row refuses to die down.. Fulham moved up a place to sixth in the First Division but only after surviving a determined effort by Forest to halt their slide towards the bottom.