Moore relief as away day duck is broken

Sep 17 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

Moore relief as away day duck is broken

MANAGER Ronnie Moore hailed Tranmere’s first away win of the League One campaign at Huddersfield and declared: “I was proud of every one of my players. We deserved the win and it should give us a bit of belief. Now we have got to build from this.”

Ed Sonko’s second strike of the season and a first league goal for teenage defender Ryan Shotton secured a comeback victory for Rovers after Liam Dickinson had put the Terriers ahead with a 17th-minute free-kick.

Moore added: “We have come from behind to win games on two occasions now and getting that first away win was so important.

“We rode our luck a bit in the first half. When we were a goal down, Danny Coyne made a couple of excellent saves to keep us in the game. That is what he is there for.

“But after we equalised we were the better side and once we got our noses in front we were nice and professional about what we did.

“We got one goal from open play and one from a set play and if we had taken our opportunities we might have been out of sight.”

Moore said Huddersfield’s goal, from a free-kick curled home by striker Dickinson, was down to Tranmere’s failure to organise a defensive wall.

“Danny Coyne wanted four players in the wall and there were only three.

“We were short when the kick was taken which was the disappointing thing.”

The manager’s team changes paid dividends as Ian Goodison returned from international duty to strengthen the heart of the defence, Shotton and moved to right-back and the experienced Ian Moore and Chris Greenacre returned in place of winger Chris Shuker and front man Craig Curran respectively.

Moore said: “As a manager you sometimes make a decision on a gut feeling.

“Craig Curran had done nothing wrong and I just felt that Chris Greenacre would have a bit more experience in playing against (Huddersfield centre-back) Chris Lucketti.

“Greenacre was unlucky he did not put the icing on the cake with a goal. But Savage also did well for us at times.

“Ian Goodison and Ben Chorley were magnificent at the back, heading everything out and getting in some vital blocks.

“I just wish we could win games on the days when Ian Goodison isn’t in the side.”

Moore said he plans to speak to Stoke City counterpart Tony Pulis about extending Shotton’s loan at Prenton Park beyond the initial month.

He said: “Ryan is a super young player and only a kid at 19.

“He was magnificent in his league debut for us at centre-back and did well this time at right back.”