Tranmere Rovers FC manager Les Parry looking forward to clash against Sheffield Wednesday at Prenton Park

Nov 18 2011 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

MANAGER Les Parry reckons a home game against Sheffield Wednesday could be a challenge tailor-made for Tranmere as they seek to shake off the disappointment of exiting two cup competitions last week.

The third-placed Owls will be filling the Cowshed Stand with close to 2,000 fans when they visit Prenton Park tomorrow afternoon.

That’s sure to create the kind of big game atmosphere that has often brought the best out of Rovers teams in recent years.

Parry said: “This is the ideal game to get last week’s disappointment out of the system. If I had to pick a fixture after losing in the cup last Saturday, I would have picked a game against one of the better sides in the division.

“In the past we’ve had disappointing results and then bounced back. Our fans are used to that. Last season we went from losing consecutive home games to teams below us, to beating teams who were challenging for automatic promotion.

“I don’t want to get used to that sort of thing again. I think we will have a good, intense battle on Saturday.”

Tranmere’s performance on their last outing, a 1-0 defeat to League Two promotion challengers Cheltenham Town in a first round FA Cup tie at Prenton Park, was a disappointment.

Prior to that, they dropped League One points in a 4-2 defeat at Scunthorpe United and a 0-0 draw at home to Colchester United and went out of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy at Chesterfield.

The view at Prenton Park is to look on the positive side and remind themselves that with just over a third of the League One programme completed, Rovers lie eighth in the table, just two points short of the play-off zone.

No-one needs reminding that Tranmere saved one of their best performances of last season for the visit of the Owls, posting a 3-0 win in February, thanks to goals from Ian Goodison, Enoch Showunmi and loan signing Lateef Elford Alliyu.

Wednesday were in a slump at the time, having just jettisoned Alan Irvine as manager, replacing the ex-Everton winger with the well-travelled and experienced Gary Megson, himself a former player at Goodison Park.

Chants of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” rang out across Prenton Park from the packed visitors’ end that night.

But Megson’s influence in injecting new steel into the side was evident when Wednesday trounced Tranmere 4-0 in the return match at Hillsborough two months later.

Megson’s good work has continued this season. Wednesday dropped their first home points of the campaign in a 0-0 draw with Brentford a fortnight ago and they have been tidy on the road, winning three and drawing two out of nine away games so far.

Parry said: “The Sheffield Wednesday game here was one of the highlights for us last season – although the away game was one of the low-lights.

“We thoroughly deserved to win the game here. Gary Megson had not long taken over and I think he recognised it was a good performance by us because he said some nice things after the game.

“This season, Wednesday have won every home game except the last one, which obviously helps with the fans. They have not done as well away but they have done okay.”

Competition for places will be at the maximum tomorrow with Parry reporting that all of his players are fit and available for selection.

Winger Martin Devaney, who ended a two-month lay-off for a hamstring injury with a half-hour substitute appearance against Cheltenham, will be pressing for one of the wide midfield places in the line-up.

Jose Baxter, the teenager on loan from Everton, has now completed a three-game suspension and can challenge Andy Robinson for the creative attacking role just behind the central striker.

Enoch Showunmi, named North West League One Player of the Year this week, will be hoping to reclaim that central striking position from Mustafa Tiryaki. Further back, Mark McChrystal will be pushing for a recall in central defence.

Devaney, Baxter, Showunmi and McChrystal all came through a reserve team outing in midweek.