Moore tweaks tactics to keep on winning

Oct 23 2008 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Ronnie Moore has tweaked Tranmere’s training routine as well as the team tactics as he chases a third League One win in seven days at the expense of Crewe Alexandra tomorrow.

Moore had his players in for a light training session yesterday rather than give them the day off after Tuesday night’s 2-0 home with over Cheltenham.

Moore said: “We want to keep the winning habit so we will try doing something a little bit different. The lads were in to do some running and stretching rather than putting their feet up all day.

“Hopefully we will see the benefit on Friday night. The home form is vital for us if we are going to push on. The fixtures are coming thick and fast at the moment. The next target is to make it three wins in a week by beating Crewe. Then we have another game next Tuesday at Stockport.”

Goals by Bas Savage and Ed Sonko helped Rovers sink Cheltenham and end a run of three home defeats.

Crewe arrive at Prenton Park tomorrow in the doldrums. A midweek defeat at Yeovil, their eighth in 12 League One games, left the Railwaymen at the bottom of the table.

Coach Steve Holland insists there was still time to turn around Crewe’s faltering season. “It’s difficult, but it’s early in the season which makes it easier to turn it around,” said Holland.

“It is not where we want to be, and we’ve got a lot of work to do quickly as we’re playing again Friday. Quite obviously some fresh legs will need to be introduced.”

Holland is also ready to step up his search for loan recruits. He said: “The inconsistency of the players is still frustrating and we have to address that by seeing if we can bring players in on loan or getting more out of those we’ve got.”

Julien Baudet retired early at Yeovil with a hamstring injury and is likely to miss the Prenton Park game.

Meanwhile, coach Shaun Garnett admitted Tranmere’s under-19s were flattered by the scoreline in a 6-3 Puma Youth Alliance victory over Morecambe at Raby Vale.

Garnett said: “It was a wide-open game and there could have been many more than the nine goals scored. It was a mixed bag of a performance and I could not say that we were three goals better than Morecambe.

“Going forward there were some great patterns of play and we created a lot of chances. But defensively we were not switched on. We conceded the three goals from set plays. There were some issues to work on.”

Tranmere, a goal down after 11 minutes, were 2-1 ahead before the half-hour mark thanks to strikes by Ross Rule and a Josh Macauley penalty. Morecambe levelled on 33 minutes. Soon after Ryan Fraughan put Rovers 3-2 ahead, the visitors had a man sent off.

Morecambe’s plucky 10 men drew level again on 74 minutes only to be swept away by a flurry of late goals from Jay Ashcroft, Jack Mackreth and Fraughan.

Tranmere travel to Shrewsbury in an Alliance fixture on Saturday.

Rovers face a tough trip to Darlington next Wednesday in round one of the FA Youth Cup.