Les Parry pleased with encouragement for Tranmere Rovers

Nov 18 2009 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

CARETAKER manager Les Parry is pleased the weekend voices of encouragement for Tranmere included that of Norwich manager Paul Lambert, who predicted the League One strugglers would pull themselves out of trouble with displays like last Saturday.

“Supporters who did not go to the game can read the local papers and hear our staff say the team did well,” Parry said.

“The fact that the manager of the opposition is saying the same thing is brilliant.

“Paul Lambert also said, to be fair, that if the penalty (for Norwich’s first goal) had been given against them he would have been devastated.”

Despite words of encouragement, Parry insisted missed chances, rather than a debatable penalty decision, were largely responsible for Tranmere’s 2-0 defeat at Norwich City.

Rovers, combining solid defence with sharp counterattacks, kept the highflying Canaries at bay for an hour until referee Darren Deadman awarded a spot kick for hand ball after a shot from Simon Lappin struck midfielder John Welsh at close range in the 60th minute.

Wes Hoolahan converted a penalty and the visitors, forced to change their gameplan, conceded a second goal to defender Gary Doherty on 80 minutes.

Parry said: “The penalty changed the game but the end of the day you can’t afford to miss the chances we missed. I am not a great believer in luck. You get chances and if you don’t put them away, it is poor finishing, not poor luck.”

Even so, Parry had to bite his lip about a decision that infuriated the Rovers players and staff. He said: “It was a penalty because the referee gave it. I have to be careful what I say about referees because I’m a physio on a physio’s wage and I can’t afford to be fined a week’s wages by the FA.

“The decision was harsh at best. John Welsh said the ball hit him in the armpit and I could see he had his back turned to the ball, which happens if someone belts it at close range. Not many of those are given.

“The referee wasn’t good for us. Over the course of the game we thought we did not get the rub of the green from him.”

The result did nothing to ease Tranmere’s plight near the foot of the League One table or improve Parry’s record in temporary charge of the side which is one win, one draw and four defeats. But the long serving physio was pleased with the performance in front of a huge Carrow Road crowd of 25,000.

Parry said: “That performance was representative of how we have been playing over the last half dozen games but the results at the moment don’t make good reading.

“Performance wise I thought the players were superb. We came to the home of a team that will most likely be pushing for an automatic promotion spot and we did ourselves proud.

“Norwich had 65% of the possession but it was all in front of us. It was how we planned it and it worked a treat.”

Meanwhile the search for long-term successor to John Barnes continues. It is understood Tranmere officials know of nothing that would substantiate reports in one Sunday newspaper that Darren Ferguson, surprisingly sacked by Peterborough United last week after leading the Posh to successive promotions, wants to jump straight back into football by managing Tranmere.

Parry could have Gareth Edds, Alan Mahon and Shaleum Logan available for the trip to Brisbane Road this weekend after the trio missed Saturday’s game.

Edds was suffering from chickenpox which he picked up from his daughter, Mahon pulled out of the trip when his wife went into labour and Logan was serving a one match suspension.