TRANMERE can expect League One promotion chasers Charlton Athletic to be fired-up and eager to make amends for a rare flop when the teams meet at The Valley tomorrow afternoon.

The Addicks must come to terms with the shock of losing at home for the first time this season, at the hands of strugglers Leyton Orient on Monday.

Rovers manager Les Parry is braced for the reaction, but nurtures the hope that Charlton may fall into the trap of trying just a little too hard against another visiting team from the wrong end of the table.

Parry said: “You only have to look at the teams’ relative positions in the league to see anything we take from the Charlton game will be a bonus.

“Charlton’s result against Orient did us no favours because I am sure they will be looking to lift their game after the disappointing performance.

“They will be hoping we get the backlash from it.

“But there is a chance they will trying too hard. Charlton are under a different kind of pressure to us because most of the teams around them at the top have been winning.

“Players can be affected by it. They probably thought, up until this week, that they were unbeatable at home.

“Now they must be thinking they are not as unbeatable as they thought they were.”

Charlton manager Phil Parkinson said: “We have been speaking about how we react to situations all season. When we had our setbacks we have responded well.

“We will need to do that against Tranmere.

”Leyton Orient was only our third defeat all season and we had a bad night.

“It’s all about how we respond and I certainly would be disappointed if there is any drop in belief because we have got exceptionally good players here.”

Charlton demonstrated their quality when they won 4-0 at Prenton Park back in August.

Parry said: “It is no surprise to see Charlton near the top of the division, when you look at the players they have from their Championship days and the kind of players they can attract.

“They are always going to be in the shake-up for promotion.”

The players Parry sends out at The Valley will be largely the same ones who were taken apart by Charlton at Prenton Park in the first meeting.

But the team has undergone a character change since long serving physiotherapist Parry succeeded John Barnes as manager in October.

If the form of the last couple of months is anything to go by, Tranmere can be expected to put up tenacious resistance this time around.

Parry expects centre-back Ian Goodison to overcome a painful kick on the shin. The manager made a rare, unforced a change in personnel and tactics in midweek by recalling wide man Chris Shuker and adjusting the formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.

The tinkering paid dividends as Tranmere, putting on a bright second-half performance, defeated Yeovil 2-1 at Prenton Park.

The win lifted them to within four points at the place of safety.

Striker Bas Savage continued his comeback from a serious Achilles tendon injury by playing a full game in a reserve team friendly against Shrewsbury this week and, much to Parry’s satisfaction, survived a couple of clattering challenges from the opposition.

But it is too soon for Savage to be considered for first-team duty, even on the substitutes’ bench.

Parry continues to seek a player in the loan market to increase Tranmere’s attacking options while Savage is given time to build up his sharpness and confidence.