Moore stoical over missed chance to go top

Sep 24 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Ronnie Moore admitted to feeling conflicting emotions about the quality of Tranmere’s performance in the 1-1 draw at Cheltenham.

He said: “Part of me was pleased with the way we competed, another part of me was disappointed we did not keep the ball well.”

The result extended Tranmere’s unbeaten run in League One to six games since the opening day defeat to Leeds United. They also remain unbeaten in four league games on the road.

But Rovers’ failure to take three points cost them the chance to take top spot in the table from Leyton Orient, who were beaten by Hartlepool.

Moore said: “Give our lads credit. They dug in and worked hard. But it was only in the last 20 minutes that we passed the ball well and moved the opposition about.

“In the end, we have to earn marks for getting a result on a day when we did not perform particularly well with the ball. We did not pass it well enough and could not get our wingers into the game.

“We just hung in there and competed and limited Cheltenham to very few opportunities.”

Moore added: “The draw was a fair result. We had a few chances to win it towards the end but I think it would have been an injustice if we had.”

Moore made it clear he would not lose any sleep over the missed opportunity to claim top spot in the division.

He said: “You are going to get afternoons like this during the season. All we can do is think about our own result and performance. Let’s hope we can go top next weekend.”

Moore described Chris Greenacre’s 35th-minute goal – the leading marksman’s fourth of the season – as “a great finish.”

He added: “We really should have gone on from there but we gave away a needless free-kick four minutes into the second half and got caught out from it. If we were going to concede it was always going to be from a set play.

“Cheltenham only wanted to go route one and the ball must have had a headache.

“But we have to cope with it if we are going to win the league and we have to come here and win.”

Goalkeeping coach John Achterberg made his first league appearance of the season after Danny Coyne failed a pre-match fitness test.

Moore reported: “Danny suffered a calf strain in training on Monday. We thought he would be okay by the weekend but he wasn’t. Now we have to wait and see whether he is going to ready for the game against Northampton next Saturday.

“John Achterberg is an able replacement. He had no chance with the goal, though he is probably sick he conceded one.”

Centre-back Ben Chorley played after passing a fitness test on a ligament strain.