NOBODY in the Tranmere dressing room requires a lecture on the importance of tonight’s rearranged League One encounter with Yeovil at Prenton Park (kick-off 7.45pm).

Manager Les Parry and his relegation threatened team understand the need to take maximum points from a home fixture sandwiched between two daunting away trips to promotion chasing clubs.

Last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at MK Dons left Rovers six points shy of a place of safety. It’s a gap they are anxious to close before they take on third-placed Charlton Athletic at The Valley on Saturday.

Parry said: “It does not take a mathematician to know that we have got to win against Yeovil. The game is vital.

“For one, the game is at home, where our form is better. We are going to make the majority of our remaining points up at home.

“Yeovil are a team who are not so far away from us in terms of league position. We’ve got to be looking to win games against teams like that.

“We can’t impact on the relationship in the table between ourselves and MK Dons and Charlton but we can impact on our relationship with Yeovil.”

Parry’s opposite number Terry Skiverton sees the issue in similar terms. He said: “Tranmere are another team that are in and around us. What we’ve got to do is to keep ourselves as far away from the bottom four as possible.”

The middle section of the table is so congested that Yeovil moved into the top half by winning the West Country derby against Exeter City last weekend.

Tranmere’s problem since the early weeks of the campaign has been generating enough momentum to climb out of the bottom four.

Parry said: “I think the difference between ourselves and many of the teams above us is that we have not been able to put together consecutive wins in the league. When we have won a couple of games on the bounce, one has been a cup tie. Back-to-back wins in the league can make such a difference and that’s what we need to be aiming for.

“If we were able to back up our home wins with some successes on the road I think we would be up there with the likes of Yeovil and Carlisle. But there’s no point in looking back. We need to look forward.”

Tranmere sustained no significant casualties when suffering a 10th away defeat of the campaign at MK Dons. Centre-back Ian Goodison underwent treatment for an ankle knock but is expected to play.

Yeovil impressed Parry when they defeated Tranmere 2-0 at Huish Park on the opening day of the season. “They played some good football and have a handful of young players on loan from bigger clubs,” Parry said. “We have to match them on the footballing side.”

The Glovers have drawn 10 out of 26 games in the league this season and six of their seven wins were at home. The away form is less convincing.

Meanwhile, Parry is continuing his efforts to recruit a striker on loan. He reported Manchester United declined to release a youngster Tranmere asked about but added: “We are waiting on answers from clubs on three other players we have asked about. We also have Bas Savage coming back as well. It will be like having a new player when he is fit again.”

Rovers arranged a reserve team friendly against Shrewsbury for tomorrow to give Savage some much-needed match practice. The tall striker hasn’t played since rupturing an Achilles tendon in the game at Leeds United last April.

Parry said: “Bas will hopefully have the whole 90 minutes. It will be important for his fitness but our main concern at the moment is his confidence. He needs to know he can get through 90 minutes, to know he can tackle and to know he can sprint.”