Gornell: Keeping it simple will save us from the drop

Dec 3 2009 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

TERRY GORNELL is growing increasingly confident that Les Parry’s “keep it simple” formula has put Tranmere on a path that can lead them away from the League One danger zone.

The 19-year-old striker emerged as one of the heroes of the 3-3 draw with high-flyers Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night.

While the point gained from the Galpharm Stadium wasn’t enough to lift Rovers off the bottom of the table, the spirit and resilience they showed in coming from behind three times provided another confidence boost for the squad.

Gornell reckons Tranmere, now unbeaten in three games, are beginning to produce results to match the improvement in performances since long serving physiotherapist Parry, backed up by coaches Shaun Garnett and Wayne Allison, took temporary charge of team affairs eight weeks ago.

“All of the lads are responding to Les,” Gornell said. “He is a manager who keeps it simple, does not complicate things and the lads really needed that when he took over. We all know our individual jobs and what we have to do.

“It is a difficult situation when you look at the league table and we are all pulling together to try and get out of it.”

Gornell, a second-year professional who came through Tranmere’s youth development system, started in each of those three unbeaten games in a central striking role.

He wasn’t among the scorers on Tuesday but Parry described the youngster’s effort against the Terriers’ powerful defenders as “magnificent”.

Gornell added: “Tuesday was a great performance and a great result, which I thought we fully deserved. The lads were buzzing afterwards. It just went to show that all of the work we are putting in is paying off.

“We are unbeaten in three games now and I think we are becoming a more compact team, harder to beat.

“I know we conceded three goals on Tuesday but Huddersfield are a very talented side with some good players and they have been averaging three goals a game at home right through the season.

“We had two clean sheets on the bounce before Tuesday and I think the formation and the shape of the side is coming together.”

Parry says the next League One game, against Brentford at Prenton Park on Saturday, is important because the Londoners are among the teams in the bottom half of the table that Tranmere ultimately hope to catch.

Gornell added: “Home games are going to be massive and we need to find the kind of form we had at Prenton Park last season. We need to be looking to pick up points from all of our home games.”

Gornell’s central attacking role in the 4-3-3 formation often leaves him alone to battle a pair of opposing centre-backs.

He said: “It can be a bit lonely up there and it can be hard but I have to feed off the bits and pieces I get. I know my role.

“Les, Shaun Garnett and Wayne Allison tell me what they want me to do and what they need from me. I’m very happy to be doing it.”

The striker felt he should have won a penalty for Tranmere soon after Craig Curran fired in the second equaliser early in the second half.

He went down under the challenge of Peter Clarke inside the box but referee Neil Swarbrick and his assistant waved away Tranmere’s appeals.

“I’m still in shock that the penalty wasn’t given,” Gornell said. “I had made a good run, got behind the defender and was ready to pull the trigger in a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper when he brought me down.

“I don’t know how it wasn’t a penalty. I believe the referee looked at the assistant and he did not give it. I don’t know what the assistant was thinking.

“It is all ifs and buts of course but if we’d got the penalty we could have come away with three points.

“Even so, we can’t be disappointed because the result on Tuesday was fantastic.”