Youngsters missed chance to impress, insists Moore

Jul 26 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Ronnie Moore reckoned a number of Tranmere’s young hopefuls missed an opportunity to make a pre-season impression at Southport last night.

Rovers suffered their first defeat in five summer outings, as a line up including a handful of junior professionals and apprentices were beaten 1-0 at Haig Avenue.

Moore said: “Fans cry out for me to give youngsters a chance in the first team but tonight they did not come through with flying colours. When you don’t mix the sides evenly, in pre-season games, it shows.

“There were six first teamers and five kids out there and we were not strong enough or dominant enough. I had plenty of first teamers on the bench but they played 90 minutes at Morecambe on Tuesday night.”

Moore made an honourable exception of Euan O’Kane, a young Irish trainee who played on the left wing of an experimental 4-5-1 formation. He said: “Euan is only 17 and played out of posi-tion because of our shortage of strikers. I was pleased with him and I thought he did okay.”

Experienced striker Gareth Taylor was forced out by a calf injury suffered in training on Monday, but should be available when Tranmere take on Bolton at Prenton Park on Saturday.