TRANMERE are going in search of the away goals to put extra legs on their pursuit of promotion when they take on Hereford United this afternoon.

The Boxing Day encounter with the struggling Bulls at Edgar Street (kick-off 3pm) provides Rovers with an opportunity to improve a poor strike rate on the road.

With nine goals to show from 10 away games so far in the League One campaign, Ronnie Moore’s team lag well behind the goalscoring record of the rest of the teams in the division’s top 10.

The problem has become more acute over the last couple of months with Tranmere managing just one goal in the last seven away league and cup games.

And Moore admits it is holding back the progress of a side who have become proficient at denying goals to the opposition.

Moore said: “We have not been prolific away from home – even though we’ve often played well.

“There are plenty of games we can look back on and say: ‘We should have won that day’. If we are going to get ourselves into the play-off positions we have to start throwing runs of wins together.

“Our home form has been excellent recently but we need to be going away and taking three points, no matter how we play.”

Moore has warned his players against underestimating a Hereford side who are struggling in next to bottom place in the division.

Moore said: “It does not matter who you are playing in this division. We all know the teams at the bottom are capable of beating the teams at the top. So it is about the attitude of our players – being professional doing the right thing.

“We have to show Hereford the same respect we would show to Leicester City or Leeds United.”

Graham Turner is both the chairman and manager at Hereford and guided the club to promotion from the Conference in 2006 and to promotion to League One last summer.

Moore said: “You can only admire what Hereford have achieved over the last few years. It looks as if this latest step up is stretching them a bit – but that does not mean they can’t win games.

“We know that if we are not mentally right and go there thinking it’s going to be easy then it will turn out to be a very difficult afternoon for us.”

Hereford, beaten for the ninth time in 11 League One away outings at Huddersfield last Saturday, have a more respectable record at Edgar Street. They boast three home wins, three draws and four defeats.

Turner believes he can see cause for optimism, in spite of a run of costly injuries. He said: “As we go into the holiday games, I have seen a marked difference in our performances recently. Some of our attacking play and creation of chances has been very encouraging.

“It is still very tight at the bottom of the table and there is pressure on quite a number of clubs down there.”

Turner added: “With the January transfer window opening, most of the clubs will be scrambling to sign new players. It is perhaps a little unfortunate that the calibre of players we want and require are also the ones who will attract attention from far bigger clubs than us.

“We have worked hard to build up relationships with some big clubs over loan players; we just hope that brings some reward in January, as well as the prospect of signing players on a permanent basis.”

Rovers will be unable to call on young striker Craig Curran, whose long running back trouble will keep him sidelined until the New Year.

The more experienced Chris Greenacre played two games last week after struggling to overcome a back injury of his own. But Moore reports the problem is not yet cleared and rates Greenacre a doubtful starter today.

The manager will be forced into a defensive reshuffle because centre-back Ben Chorley is absent through a one-match suspension. Ian Moore’s run of games in the wide right midfield slot will also be interrupted by a one-match ban.