TRANMERE aim to turn the dynamics of the most imposing stadium in League One to their advantage when they take on Sheffield Wednesday tonight.
Manager Les Parry hopes his predominantly young players can take inspiration from the vast splendour of Hillsborough – and generate enough frustration for the home side to turn a big South Yorkshire crowd against them.
Parry is all too aware that the Owls’ following can be a help or a hindrance, depending how games develop. He said: “Hillsborough is the grandest stadium in the division and it has the potential to inspire and intimidate the home and away teams.
“It can be difficult to play in front of a large home crowd if you are not doing well.”
Wednesday were cheered off at half-time during a 2-1 home win over Colchester last Saturday but had boos and jeers ringing in their ears a few days earlier when losing at home to Brentford.
Parry said: “Having 5,000 people booing you is bad enough when there are 15,000 or 20,000 people booing it’s a lot worse. It is something Leeds United had to contend with when they were in League One.”
A travelling contingent of around 2,000 Wednesday fans turned on their team when they were beaten 3-0 at Prenton Park in mid-February, chorusing “you’re not fit to wear the shirt.”
Tranmere’s victory that night extended an unbeaten run to a season’s best five games and they looked to have set themselves on course for the middle of the table. Rovers have won only once in 10 games since then however and the safety cushion above the relegation places is down to a slender three points.
The Owls, four points better off, can reach the psychologically important 50-point mark with a win tonight.
Parry said: “Closing the gap on Sheffield Wednesday is our aim. We need to get something from Hillsborough to stop them pulling away from us.
“We want to get to 50 points as soon as we can and although we have two difficult games this week (Tranmere travel to Bournemouth on Saturday) we will get much closer if we can get something out of each of them.”
Parry expects his players to draw confidence from a robust performance in a 2-0 defeat to second-placed Huddersfield last Saturday.
He could be faced by an intriguing selection dilemma if Andy Robinson shakes off a groin injury that forced him on to the sidelines against the Terriers.
In Robinson’s absence, Parry deployed teenage prospect Dale Jennings in the central attacking role just behind target-man Enoch Showunmi.
It is a new position for Jennings but the 18-year-old showed flashes of the form that brought scores of talent scouts from Premier League and Championship clubs to Prenton Park earlier in the season.
Robinson faces a fitness test today, as does Jennings, who suffered a slight calf strain towards the end of the Huddersfield game.
Parry said: “And he plays the role ‘in the hole’ very well. He has the experience on his side and can see pass. Dale is more like a bottle of pop. There is lots of things in his game. He and spontaneous creativity.
“They each played a role slightly differently but they are both very creative.”
Right-back Michael Kay suffered a swollen ankle during the Huddersfield game and is rated a serious doubt for tonight.
Gary Megson, in charge of Wednesday since early February, is liable to send out a side tonight that is very different from the line-up on duty at Prenton Park seven weeks ago.
Parry said: “We sent a scout to the Colchester game and Wednesday made six changes to the side that played against us last time. Gary has a squad with quality in depth, so he can make those changes. He is still trying to find who is best players are and the combination of those players to make his best side.”
