We must do better, insists Ronnie Moore following exit

Sep 5 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

Ronnie Moore makes his feelings known (158)

MANAGER Ronnie Moore gave his Tranmere Rovers team a dressing down after they went tamely out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy to League Two visitors Morecambe last night.

A 55th-minute goal by midfielder Jamie Burns settled a first round tie in which Rovers failed to create a clear cut scoring chance.

Moore said: “I’m disappointed. We’ve got to be brighter than that. Tonight was a great opportunity for a number of players who have been waiting for a first team chance – but not many took it.

“Morecambe came to make it difficult for us, by playing a 4-5-1 system. It was not unexpected. But you would have thought that we had never worked on how to break them down.

“We huffed and puffed and never created a chance. We lacked penetration up front, and made poor decisions in the final third of the field. Then we got caught by a sucker punch of a goal.”

He added: “We will have to do better than that when we come up against League One teams playing that system.”

Moore made an honourable exception from his criticisms of centre-back Anthony Kay, one of four senior players making a first start of the season. He reckoned the summer signing from Barnsley, who started the game at centre-back and finished it at right-back, was Rovers’ best player.

Moore also gave a public ticking-off to teenage winger Steve Davies, a star performer in recent games, and the subject of several failed transfer offers by Leeds United, last week.

Moore said: “Davo has got to realise it’s not just about him. He looked like he wanted to be the one man on the ball. It’s a team game.”

The manager added: “It matters to me to lose any game. This competition was our best opportunity to get to Wembley and we’ve let it get away from us too easily.”

A gate of 2,557 represented one of the few successes for Tranmere who were pleased with the response from supporters to an early 7pm kick-off and reduced admission prices. Moore said: “The crowd were terrific and got behind us. It was a pity that one or two of the players couldn’t find the same enthusiasm.”

Meanwhile, Moore reported that goalkeeper Danny Coyne will be permitted to play in Tranmere’s League One game at Carlisle on Saturday.