Tranmere Rovers FC boss Ronnie Moore wants team to learn from FA Cup exit to Derby County

Jan 7 2013 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Echo

MANAGER Ronnie Moore expects to extend the loans of centre-back Donervorn Daniels and striker Michael O’Halloran today as Tranmere return their focus to the League One promotion challenge.

Rovers lost interest in the FA Cup following a 5-0 hammering at Derby County on Saturday, when Daniels and O’Halloran completed their initial spells on loan from West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers respectively.

Moore said: “John and Michael will be with us for another month and hopefully we can get another striker in on loan as well.”

He paid tribute to around 1,700 Tranmere fans who made the trip to Pride Park only to see the League One leaders surrender goals and an easy victory to the Championship side.

“Our supporters were fantastic,” Moore said. “They enjoyed themselves behind the goal and I don’t know how, because it was painful for me to watch it from where I was standing. They believe we can go up this season, I believe we can go up and I hope the lads believe we can go up. So we’ll call this game a hiccup.”

Moore, while sharply critical of Tranmere’s defending, reckoned the scoreline was not a true reflection of the contest.

“I thought we were the better team in the first-half; then we gave away such sloppy goals,” Moore said. “It does not matter who you are playing, even ‘The Dog & Duck’ – you are going to get beaten defending the way we did. The goalkeeper should have done better with the first one and the second and third goals killed us. They were both situations where we did not clear the ball from our box. It was a case of ‘after you, Claude, shall I kick it? No, you kick it’ – and the ball is in our net.

“The first three goals came at bad times for us, just before half-time and just after. We sort of melted away after that. We did not regroup and put a wedge in.

“If Derby had cut us up and done some really good things I would have happily held my hand up, but we self-destructed.

“Derby didn’t have to work hard for their win. If you make mistakes against good sides they will punish you.”

Moore added: “We have got to take it on the chin and learn from it because this is the sort of place we want to be playing football next season.

“We lost by five goals in Swindon just before Christmas, then went out and won the next three games. So let’s hope we can win the next three again.”