Tranmere left struggling as key players miss out

Dec 4 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

A CROP of fresh injury problems have put Tranmere manager Ronnie Moore in a tight spot ahead of tonight’s League One visit to Hartlepool United.

Knocks ruling out Robbie Stockdale and Ian Goodison and a doubt over Shane Sherriff leave Moore with little room for manoeuvre in selecting a defensive line-up at Victoria Park.

And while Rovers have options further forward, they must do without winger Chris Shuker, who suffered two dead legs in the FA Cup victory at Bradford City last weekend.

Moore said: “A few days ago we thought we had the squad more or less back to full strength. Now we’ve only got 14 players fit enough to train. It’s unbelievable how quickly the picture can change.”

Stockdale limped out of the 3-0 success at Valley Parade just before half-time with a calf injury while Goodison was stretchered off in the 89th minute after sustaining knocks to the ankle and knee.

With Carl Tremarco still suspended, Moore is counting on Sherriff shaking off the virus to play at centre-back tonight.

His partner at the heart of the defence would be Ben Chorley, who returned from a three-week lay-off with a calf injury to play for 50 minutes as a substitute at Bradford.

Antony Kay will switch to right back to cover for Stockdale, as he did on Saturday, with on-loan signing Andrew Taylor continuing at left-back.

Moore said: “If Sherriff is okay we can cope – although we won’t have any experienced defenders on the bench if something goes wrong on the night.

“If Shane does not come through then we are going to be short.”

Shuker took a couple of heavy blows during the Bradford game. Rovers are hopeful he has not aggravated the thigh problem that kept him out of three games in late October/early November.

Jennison Myrie-Williams, the teenage prospect recruited on loan from Bristol City, is in line for a recall on the left of midfield after being left out for tactical reasons at Bradford.

John Mullin should be in contention for a place in the starting XI after returning to action last week following ankle surgery. But Adnan Ahmed faces a lay-off for several weeks with a hamstring injury.

Moore hopes Tranmere can pick up where they left off at Valley Parade in spite of the enforced reshuffle.

Rovers need to put some momentum back into their promotion challenge after picking just one point from four league games during November.

Moore said: “This is a big game for both sides. I think a win should put us back in the play-off places but Hartlepool will be thinking they can draw level on points by beating us.

“We will go six points clear of them if we win and that is the incentive for our lads. If we perform anything like we did last Saturday, but I’m sure we will be okay.”

Tranmere took a goalless draw away from their last visit to Victoria Park in January 2005. Hartlepool were relegated the end of that season but bounced back up as League Two runners-up last season under the guidance of experienced manager Danny Wilson.

Hartlepool lost some of their early momentum in the current campaign and went out of the FA Cup last weekend at Hereford, Tranmere’s opponents in the third round next month.

Moore is familiar with several of the players lined up against Rovers tonight, not least his own son Ian.

The 31-year-old striker, whose career took him from Prenton Park to Nottingham Forest, Stockport, Burnley and Leeds before a summer move to Hartlepool, is troubled by an ankle knock sustained at Hereford.

Moore said: “Hartlepool will be gutted about losing in the cup and Danny Wilson will have them wound up.

“If our Ian plays there will be a little bit of family pressure. Just recently he has been playing on the right wing but I think he is more of a threat when playing centre forward.

“Hartlepool have also got Richie Barker and Andy Monkhouse, players I worked with at Rotherham and I rate James Brown as one of the best forwards around at this level.”