MANAGER Ronnie Moore hopes the moment will arrive tomorrow when Tranmere finally post a victory over Peterborough United at the fourth time of asking this season.
“I think we are due a win over Peterborough,” Moore said.
“And like all of the games so far, I’m expecting this one to be close.”
The three previous meetings between the League One promotion hopefuls each finished all square after 90 minutes – with the Posh edging through the FA Cup second round replay at Prenton Park last month thanks to an extra-time winner.
Rovers felt they had chances to win the 2-2 draw in the league at London Road in September and had the better of a goalless draw in the FA Cup on the same ground in December.
Moore added: “We have been within an inch of beating Peterborough three times, so why not on Saturday? If ever there was a good time to do it, then it is now.”
Tranmere, four points adrift of the League One play-off zone, can cut a six-point deficit on fourth-placed Peterborough in half with a win at Prenton Park, where they have won six of the last seven league games.
Darren Ferguson’s team have suffered just one defeat in the last 19 league games – a 4-0 mauling at leaders Leicester City a month ago. They host an FA Cup third round replay against West Bromwich Albion next Tuesday after enjoying the better of a 1-1 draw with the Premier League strugglers at the Hawthorns last Saturday.
The Posh benefit from the powerful financial backing of chairman Darren MacAnthony, an Irish property tycoon who wants to take the club into the top flight. But Ferguson’s brand of attacking football is already building him a reputation as one of the brightest young managers in the game.
Front-man Craig Mackail-Smith has 18 league and cup goals to his name this season and striking partner Aaron McLean has 10.
Moore said: “This is a very attractive game. Peterborough are a form team. They were tipped to be one of the top sides at this level at the start of the season and they are justifying that confidence.
“We’ve played them three times now and there’s been nothing between the teams. I look at the two squad and I think our best XI is as good as their best XI.
“I’m looking forward to another tight, attractive game. I don’t think it will be 0-0. They have got so many good attacking players in their side and we are not bad going forward ourselves – even if we have not scored as many goals as we would like.”
Moore knows Ferguson well enough to expect that Peterborough’s players will not be distracted by thoughts of their FA Cup replay with the Albion.
“Darren will be into his players’ ribs and he’ll tell them if they don’t perform against us it will be a different side that plays on Tuesday,” Moore said.
“But I don’t think that will be a problem for them. Peterborough are in great form. They have arguably the best attacking trio in the division in Mackail-Smith, McLean and George Boyd, who is a winger who cheats a little bit in that he does not come back and defend.
“They are a very good counter-attacking side and we have to remember that when we are attacking we are also defending – even though that sounds daft.
“What it means is that if we are attacking, Boyd won’t come back and help his defenders. If there is a clearance he will be able to pick balls up and hit is on the break. Our defenders have to know what to expect.
“To be fair, they handled the Peterborough attack fairly well in the first three games.”
Tranmere select from a squad that is missing strikers Chris Greenacre, who faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines with damaged foot ligaments and Craig Curran, who is about 10 days away from returning to action after a long lay-off with a back injury.
REFEREE Phil Gibbs will make an early inspection of the Prenton Park pitch this afternoon, at Tranmere's request.
Rovers will be keen to avoid a repeat of the late postponement of their fixture at Colchester last weekend which saw hundreds of fans making a wasted 10-hour round trip to Essex.
