THE soldiers who swelled the ranks of spectators on “Help for Heroes” day at Prenton Park must have appreciated the qualities of resourcefulness and composure under fire that helped Tranmere capture three survival points on Saturday.

Defeating a Southampton side on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run and fresh from a pair of five-goal victories was the equivalent of stopping a tank in its tracks with small arms fire.

Manager Les Parry described the result as a coupon buster and reckoned the success to be among the most satisfying of his five months in charge of team affairs.

Rovers also needed well-drilled teamwork and an element of luck to get the job done against opponents bristling with strength and quality.

Some of the good fortune was dispensed by referee Peter Quinn.

The Cleveland official was faced with a couple of strong penalty appeals from each side and answered only one of them in the affirmative, to Tranmere.

Emotions ran high in the moments before skipper Ian Thomas-Moore converted the 85th-minute spot-kick with icy composure.

Two Southampton players, Morgan Schneiderlin and Jason Puncheon, were booked for protesting that Dan Seaborne’s challenge on Gareth Edds did not merit a penalty kick.

Southampton’s experienced manager Alan Pardew was measured but forceful in his criticism of Quinn afterwards.

He said: “We were hampered in a lot of areas by the referee who was very, very poor for us.”

Tranmere, it should be said, are not used to enjoying the benefit of penalty decisions going their way. This one was the first they had been awarded in 39 league games.

Even without the reward of the two extra points delivered by the penalty, Rovers could take a good deal of satisfaction from their afternoon’s work.

There was a danger, after losing the advantage of Marlon Broomes’ third minute strike to a quick equaliser from Lee Barnard, that they might buckle under the weight of the visitors’ momentum.

Southampton, boasting a line-up assembled at a massive cost by League One standards, showed why they are still considered promotion candidates in spite of the handicap of a 10-point deduction.

But Rovers dug in and held their ground. They took their cue from the inspirational efforts of centre backs Ian Goodison and Broomes in limiting the threat of Rickie Lambert and Barnard, a strikeforce as potent as any in the division. Goalkeeper Daniels played his part with an outstanding second-half save from Barnard while the midfield and front men worked their socks off to ensure the visitors could never feel entirely secure the back.

The opening goal was another endorsement of Tranmere’s enthusiasm for rehearsing set plays on the training ground.

Paul McLaren’s free-kick from the right was swept to the far post, nodded back into the goalmouth by Edds and headed home at close range by Broomes.

Zoumana Bakayogo flashed a fierce 20 yard shot narrowly over the bar two minutes later but Tranmere’s flying start was checked by a Southampton equaliser on 12 minutes.

The home side looked like they might escape the worst when Goodison stretched to poke Lallana’s shot off the line following good work on the left by Puncheon. But the loose ball run straight to Barnard to ram home.

When Puncheon delivered another dangerous cross to the far post, Lallana fired the ball back across the face of goal when a simple tap-in looked the easier option.

Referee Quinn ignored Tranmere’s claims that Paul McLaren’s 42nd-minute corner was pushed away by a Southampton hand and there was another alarm for the visitors on the hour when Curran’s snapshot from 15 yards forced an athletic save from goalkeeper Kevin Davis.

A chance came Barnard’s way after Broomes was for once beaten by the bounce of the ball but Daniels was able to make an instinctive, blocking save at close range.

The introduction of Bas Savage, making a first senior appearances since rupturing his Achilles tendon last April, lifted the mood of the home supporters.

There were five minutes left on the clock when Edds toppled over the challenge of substitute Seaborne as he attempted to turn in a crowded penalty area and Quinn pointed to the spot.

Thomas-Moore’s kick had to be precise into the bottom right-hand corner because the tall Davies dived of the right way.

Defender Jose Fonte claimed he was fouled inside the box by Luke O’Neill soon afterwards but his only reward for his actions was a yellow card from Mr Quinn for taking a dive.