Mixed emotions for manager Ronnie Moore in a nervous display

Mar 17 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Ronnie Moore admitted he experienced a turbulent mixture of disappointment, anxiety and joy during Tranmere’s 3-1 win over Hartlepool at Prenton Park.

Disappointment with a performance that dipped alarmingly in the second half, anxiety as Rovers wobbled on the edge of surrendering a two-goal lead to Hartlepool’s 10 men and joy as they emerged with three precious promotion-chasing points.

“We got out of jail today and if we play like that again we won’t come away with the three points,” Moore warned.

“It was a nervy performance. The crowd were a bit on edge and the manager was on edge.

“When we went 2-0 up I thought we would get the ball down and control the game. But everyone seemed so nervous. We let Hartlepool back into the game.”

Moore reckoned the contest hinged on a penalty miss by Hartlepool substitute Tom Craddock, who had the chance to equalise from the spot on 78 minutes and fired wide of the right-hand post.

“If Hartlepool had scored the penalty they would have gone on to win the game,” Moore reckoned. “That’s how daft our performance was.

“We had a little bit of luck and maybe we earned that on the occasions earlier in the season when we played well and did not get the result we deserved.”

Moore insisted credit was due to the visitors, who mounted a spirited fightback after suffering a succession of hammer blows.

They saw full-back Jamie McCunnie sent off for a tackle on Ian Moore that gave Tranmere a 36th- minute penalty, converted at the second attempt by Chris Greenacre. They went two goals down on 63 minutes when centre-back Michael Nelson sliced a clearance into his own net.

Moore said: “Hartlepool took chances by playing the way they did in the second half. They were very positive and took control of the game when we should have been dominating.

“I think that’s the way to do it if you are playing with 10 men. You might as well try and get yourself back into the game, even if it results in you conceding a third goal.

“We could not get hold of the ball and we were sloppy and casual at the back. We gave away the penalty (Antony Kay’s tackle on Joel Porter) through a total lack of discipline.”

Moore revealed he handed Chris Shuker a sooner-than-expected first-team comeback on Saturday as an option of last resort.

On-loan winger Jennison Myrie-Williams was ruled out by an ankle problem and Mike Jones was suffering from flu, so Rovers turned to Shuker, who had played his first game in a two-and-a- half-month recovery from knee surgery for the reserves in midweek.

Moore said he was encouraged by Shuker’s 70-minute contribution. “He is only going to get his sharpness back by playing games,” Moore said. “I don’t think we gave Shuker’s enough of the ball after Hartlepool went down to 10 men.”

Rovers hope skipper Ian Goodison will be ready to return to action in the League One encounter with Port Vale and Prenton Park on Thursday. The Jamaican defender missed the last two games with a knee injury he sustained at Oldham.

Moore said: “Ian was close to being fit for this one and wanted to go on the bench.

“It was good to win without him. At least he can no longer keep chipping away at me, saying we have not won the game without him in the side.”