Moore stressing the need for disciplined approach

Jan 11 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE seek to repair some of the early New Year damage to their promotion ambitions by posting a victory over Bristol Rovers at Prenton Park tonight (kick-off 7.45pm).

Manager Ronnie Moore admits his team are back to “playing catch-up” after squandering the benefits of a plentiful Christmas with New Year defeats at Crewe (4-3) and Leyton Orient (3-0).

The setbacks saw Rovers slip six points adrift of the play-off zone. Moore insists that with 21 games of the League One programme remaining, Tranmere have time and opportunity to make up the ground.

He said: “There are still 63 points to play for and we know it is important to make sure we take three of them this weekend.

“We are playing catch-up again. We got up to the top six by our fingernails and then someone does something daft and we are back to chasing again.”

Moore believes the balance of the games at Crewe and Orient were tipped decisively against Tranmere by the dismissals of Ian Goodison and Shane Sherriff.

And while the manager remains insistent that Goodison and did not deserve his straight red card at Gresty Road, he has publicly criticised Sherriff for showing a lack of discipline and professionalism in being dismissed for a second bookable offence at Brisbane Road on Tuesday.

Moore said: “We know it is going to be a tough game against Bristol Rovers. It would be good to keep it to 11 men versus 11 this time.

“We made the last two games more difficult for ourselves that they should be. We had to play 40 minutes with 10 men against a decent side at Orient and I felt that with 11 versus 11, we could have won that game.

“The result was like a knife in the heart because there was no way we deserve to lose 3-0. We conceded the last two goals in the final few minutes when the lads were shot from chasing the game.”

Moore says he hopes his players will heed the lessons about the value of keeping discipline. He said: “Every player should know that one mistake or one misjudgement can affect the whole team.

“Shane showed a lack of professionalism on Tuesday. He knew he was on a yellow card and we have spoken at half-time about staying on his feet and doing the right things. The decision he made to block out their player in the halfway line was a poor one.”

The Australian picked up a one-match suspension which he serves tonight.

Moore remains indignant that Goodison’s three-match ban for his tackle on Ryan Lowe at Crewe was extended to four games after the FA described Tranmere’s appeal against the dismissal as “frivolous”

The Jamaican international misses out tonight and will also be unavailable for the FA Cup third-round replay at Hereford next Wednesday.

Moore said: “The Goodison situation is ridiculous. There is no way in the world that his tackle at Crewe was a sending-off offence.

“The club felt there was a good case for appeal. How the FA could add an extra game on top and call the appeal frivolous is beyond me. With the way things are at present I can’t see us appealing again.”

Leading marksman Chris Greenacre is a doubtful starter tonight with a groin strain.

Andrew Taylor will not be part of Moore’s selection options unless he decides on a permanent move to Prenton Park.

The 21-year-old full-back, on loan to Tranmere from Blackburn for two months, returned to Ewood Park at the start of the week after he became the subject of a transfer offer from the third club, as yet unnamed.

Tranmere quickly matched that bid and are waiting on the player to make a decision on his future. Meanwhile Rovers are seeking to make new loan acquisitions before the end of the January transfer window.

They have until lunchtime today to secure a target in time to play against Bristol Rovers.