Rovers class is shining through

Oct 6 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TRANMERE delivered compelling evidence at sodden and slippery Brunton Park that they are finding their feet on the road this season.

Rovers’ second away win of the League One campaign rewarded a performance of composure and assurance in difficult conditions created by a day of heavy rain and gusting winds.

Manager Ronnie Moore, deploying a 4-5-1 formation to positive effect, had his tactics exactly right and his players performed precisely the job he wanted from them.

The extra man in midfield helped the visitors to dominate the play in the first half and exploit the lack of confidence in a Carlisle side that has now lost four times in row.

A first-minute goal from Ian Moore built up the frustration among home fans, who were quick to criticise having been accustomed to seeing their team win game in, game out at home last season.

Ryan Shotton, the on-loan full-back with a scoring touch, added a second goal on 80 minutes. Rovers defended so well that goalkeeper Danny Coyne wasn’t seriously tested until he dived to intercept a low cross from substitute Jennison Myrie-Williams in the 89th minute.

The untidy goal Tranmere conceded from a set-play a few seconds from time irritated the manager but was not enough to spoil his satisfaction with the afternoon’s work.

On a day of high marks all-round for individual contributions, no player did better than Ian Moore.

The 32-year-old striker does not regard the wide right position as his favourite.

But the manager’s son has the pace and know-how to play the role smartly and is the ideal player to interact with Bas Savage when the tall front man drifts out to the right.

Moore invariably made the right runs and played the right ball, helping to make Tranmere look a threat every time they moved on to the counter attack. Carlisle were never able to subdue the visitors’ potential to mount penetrating raids.

The Cumbrians’ sudden loss of form, following a bright start to the season, is providing manager John Ward with his first difficult days since he took charge at Brunton Park 12 months ago.

Ward might have regretted leaving winger Myrie-Williams on the substitutes bench until midway through the second half.

The pacey 20-year-old, who spent five months at Prenton Park last season, presented a threat to Tranmere’s rearguard.

However, most of Ward’s anxiety in the first half was caused by events in the home half of the field.

There were just 52 seconds on the clock when Moore, turning smartly onto a left-wing cross from Andy Taylor, fired a shot past goalkeeper Ben Williams on the first bounce from 15 yards.

Tranmere’s mastery of a pitch that soaked up water like a sponge was such that they could have been comfortably ahead by the interval.

Williams was forced to tip Ed Sonko’s header over the bar after the Carlisle defence allowed a long throw from Shotton to bounce inside the area on nine minutes. Three minutes later Sonko’s first-time half volley from the edge of the box flew just wide of the right-hand post.

Williams went sprawling across his goalmouth to push out a fizzing 30-yard effort from Moore that was heading for the bottom corner on 29 minutes. When Antony Kay lost his marker to nod Andrew Taylor’s left-wing free-kick narrowly wide, the grumblings around the old ground grew louder.

Carlisle showed a little more determination going forward after the interval, when the wind and driving rain were in their faces. But Tranmere continued to create the better scoring opportunities.

Moore, running onto a sharp through pass from Kay on 51 minutes, smashed a rising shot against the face of the crossbar from a dozen yards.

Then Kay, an enterprising figure at the heart of the midfield, cursed himself for mis-hitting a half chance wide from the edge of the box after being well set up by substitute Gareth Edds on 70 minutes.

Soon afterwards Sonko and Moore combined cleverly to set up Edds, whose low shot from the edge of the box was well saved by Williams.

Tranmere had a few anxious moments, not least when Kay escaped a second yellow card and potential banishment for a bodycheck.

Shotton’s goal, his third in six appearances since beginning a loan from Stoke City, settled the outcome. The tall defender out-jumped Williams to glance Moore’s right-wing cross into an inviting net.

Tranmere’s defending was robust enough to deny the home side a clear chance until it was too late. The game was in the third minute of injury time when Carlisle centre back Danny Livsey nodded a left-wing corner from Bridge-Wilkinson against the near post and the ball ran along the goal line for substitute Danny Graham to prod home.