TRANMERE produced a performance of tenacity and enterprise to carve out only their fourth victory of the League One campaign at Prenton Park.

Rovers were full value for a success built on goals from Ian Goodison on ten minutes and Terry Gornell on 72 and could have won by a wider margin. They subdued the challenge of a strong and powerful Southend side by playing at a tempo the mid-table visitors were unable to match.

Defender Goodison gave encouragement to sufferers of back pain everywhere!

The big Jamaican centre -back clearly wasn’t over the painful problem that forced him out of the 2-1 defeat at Leyton Orient last Saturday but he still played a dominant role at the back for more than an hour and headed home the early goal that gave Rovers such a valuable lift of confidence.

The home side did more than just defend their lead in the second half. After Gornell had added the all important second, Tranmere powered forward and Ian Thomas-Moore (twice) Gornell and Craig Curran all went close to adding a third goal.

Les Parry and his players were cheered from the field by a modest, but delighted home crowd at the final whistle.

Caretaker manager Les Parry was able to keep changes down to a reasonable proportions after most of the players who suffered from a bug over the weekend made at least a partial recovery.

He introduced a fresh face in attack with Terry Gornell replacing Ian Thomas-Moore, who dropped to the bench.

Tranmere went ahead on 10 minutes with a goal from a set play routine they had been practising on the training ground this week.

Chris Shuker picking up a corner played short on the left, swept a cross deep beyond the far post where Gornell nodded it back into the goalmouth and Goodison climbed above the pack to head into the roof of the net.

The goal lifted the mood of a small crowd who braved a blustery night. The conditions made control football difficult for both teams and there were untidy passages of play during the first half.

Even so, Tranmere were able to maintain the initiative and keep Southend pegged back in their own half for long periods.

The home fans were unhappy with referee David Webb for allowing a couple of strong pushes on Gornell and Zoumana Bakayogo to go unpunished. In between the groans, the busy John Welsh chipped a 25-yard shot narrowly over the bar.

Right-winger Francis Laurent went into the book on 47 minutes for aiming an off the ball kick at Goodison.

Southend, a tall and powerful side, threatened for a couple of set plays late in the half and Edds did well to clear one ball under the crossbar.

Tranmere went close to doubling their advantage just before the break when the visitors struggled to clear a corner and in the scramble that followed, Edds poked in a close range shot that was deflected just wide of the target by a defender’s boot.

The home side went close again a minute after the restart when Shuker sent Craig Curran darting through the inside left channel to fire a low shot from the edge of the box where goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall turned away at full stretch.

Goodison finally had to give into his back injury on 64 minutes. The skipper’s departure saw Ash Taylor drop back into the heart of the defence with Paul McLaren taking over in midfield.

Tranmere were indebted to goalkeeper Luke Daniels for a sprawling close range save that kept out Adam Barrett’s header.

The value of Daniel’s intervention was underlined by a second Tranmere goal on 72 minutes by Gornell.

When full-back Shaleum Logan swept in a cross from deep on the right, Gornell’s first headed attempt was blocked by the body of goalkeeper Mildenhall. But the striker seized on the rebound to drive a sharp shot into the far corner from 10 yards.