After finally winning away from home on Tuesday night for the first time since October in the 1-0 defeat of Colchester United, Rovers are on the road again on Saturday and once again Essex is the location as the Whites travel to Roots Hall to face Southend United.
Saturday 14th February 2009 - Kick-off 3.00pm
Southend U v Tranmere R
Coca-Cola League One at Roots Hall
After the midweek win at Colchester United, Tranmere are on the road again tomorrow as they look to make Essex their happy hunting ground for this season as Southend United are the next opponents at Roots Hall.
Ryan Shotton's goal in midweek gave Rovers a 1-0 win over the U's which was their first away from home since October 18th when they beat Leyton Orient. With a quick chance to keep the away form going, Rovers will be hopeful of more of the same tomorrow.
Earlier this season, a bizarre match at Prenton Park saw both sides score two first half goals in a 2-2 draw. Rovers took the lead after just eight minutes through Ian Moore but just two minutes later the visitors were level through Revell. Four minutes later Rovers were ahead again through Bas Savage but ten minutes before half-time Kevin Betsy completed the quick-fire scoring.
Rovers have won three of their last six matches and drawn another but away from home, up until Tuesday they have struggled, winning just three times. Southend's home form has seen them lose of their 13 games at Roots Hall this season and have lost three in the last six matches.
When the sides met in Essex last season, Rovers triumphed 2-1 and went top of League One for a short time on a fantastic afternoon for the Club. Ben Chorley and Gareth Taylor scored either side of a Barrett goal to hand Rovers all three points in that game and this time around a win could, depending on other results, move Rovers into a play-off position.
Southend's last two home matches have been postponed but hopefully the weather will be kind this time around to avoid any further fixture congestion later in the season.
If you are going to the game, get behind the lads, enjoy the game and let's hope for three more points on the road to make it an unexpected six points in a week on the road.
Tranmere Team News
Ronnie Moore is once again without strikers Craig Curran and Chris Greenacre whilst Edrissa Sonko and Ian Goodison are also unavailable.
Moore is unlikely to change the side that won 1-0 away at Colchester on Tuesday night.
Definitely although two of the home games are arguably amongst the most difficult we could ask for.
Given that we play both Peterborough and MK Dons who are also chasing promotion, would anyone think that 7 points from the next 12 would be acceptable or do we expect more?
For me, two wins, a draw and a defeat would not be the end of the world.
We need to keep up our strong home form. If we want to make up ground on the teams above us, we have to beat them, so we've got to pick up as many points as possible.
We're already shown we can beat anybody at Prenton Park, so I think, providing we can get a point, at least tomorrow, that a minimum of eight points is not out of the question, and ten wouldn't be too much to ask for either - especially considering we've been the better of both MK Dons and Peterborough, when we've played them this season.
We need to win all 3 home games, we need to make up ground, therefore winning against Peterborough and MK is essential.
We've got one of the hardest run-ins in this league, still to play are: Peterborough, MK Dons, Leicster, Oldham, Leeds, Scunthorpe. The first 3 of them are at home and we need to win them all as we all know are away form is dodgy.
which suggests to me that we'll finish exactly where we did last season when people urged managers need time.. if we don't progress at all... in a division i thought was much easier than last seasons then maybe we gotta start askin questions?
saying that though, we obviously know Tranmere Rovers historically do better against the better teams than against the relegation candidates! And well if we can turn it around and make NO FEAR in the play offs!
i fear the worst but please please please prove me wrong Rovers
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