Let’s catch up with Shrimps

Apr 30 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

TRANMERE boss Ronnie Moore watched his side put an end to Southend’s automatic promotion hopes at Prenton Park, then urged his own team to try to match the consistency of the Shrimpers next season in League One.

Last Saturday, a 1-0 victory secured by Antony Kay’s 53rd-minute goal enabled Rovers to round-off their home fixtures on a positive note and left the visitors to settle for a play-off spot.

But it was Tranmere’s failure to secure a top-six finish in League One that Moore had in mind when he said: “It’s all about consistency. If you look at Southend, they are big and strong but I don’t think they are any better than us.

“They have been more the season and that’s what we have got to be. To do a double over Southend and Carlisle, who are both in the play-offs, shows we are not a million miles from being where we want to be.”

Tranmere’s well-deserved success halted a run of three successive defeats that broke the back of their play-off ambitions earlier in the month.

Moore added: “I have nothing but praise for the performance. The lads gave their all. There was no doubt we deserved to win the game.

“When we came in at half-time I was asking how the score could be 0-0 because we had umpteen chances. Antony Kay’s goal was a lovely bit of football.

“It was a great ball in from Shane Sherriff and Antony is not going to miss if you put the ball in the right area for him.

“It was good to finish at home on a high, as we did last season. There is nothing worse than walking around the pitch at the end when you just been battered.

“If we perform as we did against Southend then we know we are not going to close next season. I think the squad just needs a little bit of tinkering and then hopefully we will be a big threat in 2008-09.”

Meanwhile, Tranmere defender Ian Goodison has been named Player of The Season for the second successive time.

The Rovers caption scooped the supporters’ award by a comfortable margin of votes, with Steve Jennings, Danny Coyne, Athony Kay and Paul McLauren completing the top five, while Young player of The Year went to Andy Taylor ahead of Jennings.