MANAGER Les Parry says he means to keep faith in the tactical model that brought Tranmere Rovers success in the early months of the season as he seeks to turn around a run of poor results.

Parry maintains defensive strength and making it difficult for the opposition to play are the tactical essentials that take priority over attempts to increase the team’s attacking firepower.

Rovers’ modest total of 20 goals scored in 20 League One games so far this season is just one goal better than the division’s lower scorers, Walsall.

But Parry maintains that the team’s loss of form over the last six weeks, with four defeats in the last five league outings, has more to do with leaking goals rather than scoring them.

Parry said: “I believe that success in this division is built on clean sheets for a team like us.

“A month ago we were still one of the lowest scorers in the division but we were up around the play-off places because we were keeping a lot of clean sheets. We stopped doing that. We would have had to score three goals to win last Saturday.”

Tranmere’s 2-0 defeat to MK Dons saw them slide down to 15th place in the table – six points adrift of the play-off zone and seven above the relegation places.

Eleven of the 23 league goals Tranmere have conceded this season were leaked in the last five games and Parry insisted: “If we keep clean sheets, we will get the chances to win games.”

He added: “I don’t want people to think we are not interested in scoring goals because we are. But it is no good improving our average from one goal per game to two per game if we concede three per game. However many you score, you have to concede fewer and we have to find a balance between the two.”