One-way traffic for Tranmere’s fit squad

Jul 16 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

THE BENEFITS of this summer’s new fitness regime at Prenton Park were evident in Tranmere’s first outing of the pre-season programme at Kirklands.

Rovers usually make hard work of their annual encounter with non-league neighbours Cammell Laird, who can be relied upon to provide robust opposition.

But in Saturday’s welcome sunshine, Tranmere were too sharp and too slick for their hosts from the UniBond Division One South.

Fitness was clearly a factor as Tranmere piled in four first half goals. An entirely new line-up added two more after the break – and missed enough chances to have taken the scoreline into double figures. Lairds’ dogged part-timers could not keep up.

Manager Ronnie Moore had his players reporting in twice a week for training work in the gym during the summer break, which meant they were already in good shape for the start of pre-season training a fortnight ago.

This victory added up to a positive start to a programme of nine pre-season friendlies. The professionals had the additional advantage of sending out a different team in each half, although Lairds also made more than half a dozen changes after the interval.

It made for an encouraging afternoon’s viewing for the hundreds of Rovers fans who made the journey down the hill from Prenton Park to Rock Ferry for a fixture that marked the start of Lairds’ centenary celebrations.

All of Tranmere’s 22 professionals were on show, with the exception of midfielder John Mullin, who had a knock.

As well as giving a run to his four summer signings, Moore also took a look at Dutch trialist Gerd Bakker.

The wide midfielder, from a Dutch third division club near Rotterdam, looked promising in a run-out lasting just under an hour.

Tranmere created chances almost from the kick-off and never lost the ability to open up the home defence.

They were a goal up on nine minutes when defender Shane Sherriff neatly made room for his right foot to thread a precise low shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net from just inside the box.

Left-winger Steve Davies added the second goal 10 minutes later, heading the ball home on the first bounce after a right-wing cross from Paul Henry deflected his way.

Henry, a 19-year-old midfielder who signed a new one-year deal this summer, made the most of his opportunity alongside the first-team regulars.

Henry’s piercing cross from the right picked out the well-timed run into the penalty area of Steve Jennings, who headed home the third goal on 29 minutes.

Chris Greenacre, Tranmere’s leading scorer for the past two seasons, was unable to capitalise on a couple of opportunities. He missed out after being sent clear by another fine pass from Henry, then shot just beyond the far post from a tight angle after Lairds’ goalkeeper Leon Simpson had palmed out a rising 20 yard shot from striking partner Gareth Taylor.

Alex Hay, a striker released by Tranmere three years ago, went closest for Lairds with a rising shot that caught the outside of goalkeeper John Achterberg’s left-hand post in the 41st minute.

Rovers added a fourth goal just before the interval. Henry was once again the creator with a through pass that split the Lairds’ defence so completely that Taylor was able to steer the ball past Simpson at a canter.

Central defender Antony Kay was rarely tested in his first action for Rovers during the first half and nor where goalkeeper Danny Coyne and centre-back Ben Chorley in the second.

However, Adnan Ahmed had plenty of scope to show his creative abilities as Tranmere maintained their grip on the contest after the break.

A trip on the former Huddersfield midfielder earned Tranmere a 52nd minute penalty. Craig Curran, a hat-trick hero in the final game of last season, would have gone on to start the pre-season with another treble if he had converted the spot kick. But his carefully-placed shot towards the bottom left-hand corner was saved by a full-length dive from Simpson.

Curran’s predatory instincts served him well two minutes later, however, when Simpson spilled a shot from Calvin Zola and the teenager flicked the rebound into the net.

Curran pounced again on 67 minutes when Paul McLaren, set up by good work from Chorley on the right, saw his shot blocked near the goalline.

Zola had more chances than most to add to the scoreline. The tall striker left defenders trailing in his wake on several occasions but could not hit the target with his finish.