SHRIMPERS
The trouble is so much significance is being put on this match it must get through to both sets of players, but certainly Tranmere took advantage of any relegation nerves Gillingham might have had Tuesday, winning 1-0 at the Priestfield Stadium.
Everyone could see on Monday against the Farmers that the style of football we've grown used to under Tilly is alive and well, the team now have to get used to scoring again without Barney, and Francis has to learn to look up now and again and find a Blue shirt.
As well as ColU loanees Baldwin and Vernon back, Macca will return from suspension to take his usual place in central midfield, I'm guessing with the Moose.
The news that left back Scott Malone is a doubt could allow Johnny Herd, only seen on the bench recently and a rare half against Swindon a couple of Saturday's ago, a chance to impress once again. We've certainly missed that long throw!
However, there is the option of going back to the system that brought such a good run going this time last year after the defeat at Leeds.
Centre-back Jean-Yves M'Voto started to look his old self in the second half against the Farmers Monday, so Tilly could look at partnering Pat Baldwin and the powerful Frenchman in the middle of the back four, and moving skipper Adam Barrett to left back.
It worked pretty well, though M'Voto is no Dervite, Baldwin is arguably safer than Clarkey. As long as there's no return to 5-3-2!
Then again, we heard all this before ColU, and both Laurent and man-of-the-match Scannell were passed fit and played well.
If there's someone at the end of those players excellent runs this time around three points is very much on.
Possible Southend United: Mildenhall, Francis, Baldwin, Barrett (or M'Voto), Malone (or Herd/Barrett), Laurent, McCormack, Moussa, Vernon, Spencer, Scannell.
Subs: Bentley, Sankofa, Christophe, Freedman, Paterson, possibly M'Voto and Herd or some kids.
Tranmere have been rocked by the news that midfielder Ash Taylor will miss the next three weeks with a hamstring problem picked up at Gillingham, Gareth Edds is expected to replace him.
Defender Ian Goodison will be hoping to be included after missing the game in Kent after missing the previous fixture at Oldham with an ankle injury.
Rovers recruited centre-back Chris McCready on a loan from Northampton Town that runs to the end of the season and last week snapped up teenage striker Marvin Sordell on a month's loan from Watford.
On the bench could be an old friend in striker Bas Savage, who caused such mayhem when coming on for Brighton against us a couple of seasons ago.
And if you had any doubt this wasn't a six-pointer........
16 | Hartlepool United | 30 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 27 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 37 | 47 | 32 | -10 | ||||
17 | Southend United | 29 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 18 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 14 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 32 | 41 | 31 | -9 | ||||
18 | Exeter City | 30 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 34 | 45 | 31 | -11 | ||||
19 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 29 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 25 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 34 | 47 | 30 | -13 | ||||
20 | Oldham Athletic | 27 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 23 | 34 | 29 | -11 | ||||
21 | Gillingham | 30 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 31 | 43 | 29 | -12 | ||||
22 | Tranmere Rovers | 29 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 17 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 28 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 47 | 29 | -22 |
Last Time Out: Gillingham 0 Tranmere Rovers 1
Ian Thomas Moore's eighth goal of the season earned Tranmere only their second win on the road this season and breathed new life into their survival battle.
The Rovers hit-man struck the decisive blow in the 68th minute to send the 104 visiting fans home happy and cranked up the pressure on Gillingham manager Mark Stimson.
There was little quality on show throughout from both teams but Les Parry's men scrapped for everything and rode their luck to leave Priestfield with a priceless three points to go level on points with the Gills. I
t was their first win away from Prenton Park since the September success at Wycombe but this victory could not have come at a better time by sucking the plummeting Gills even deeper into trouble.
Parry welcomed back Ivorian left-back Zoumana Bakayogo from the one game ban that kept him out of Saturday's 1-0 reverse against Oldham.
And he was in the thick of it from the start, delivering a dangerous ball from the left that forced a corner from right back Barry Fuller. The resulting ball in found Marvin Sordell who brought the ball down with a superb touch, but the home defence were quick to close him down and the resulting shot was blocked.
Rovers top-scorer Thomas-Moore showed great tenacity on 12 minutes to create space for a shot but he put the ball well wide of Alan Julian's right hand upright.
A Chris Palmer cross from the left caused havoc in the Rovers box on 16 minutes until Bakayogo smashed clear.
Rovers had a lucky let-off on 23 when Luke Rooney should have put the Gills ahead after Palmer's cross from the left found him unmarked but with plenty of space he headed just over.
Both sides looked short of ideas and it wasn't until Simeon Jackson's shot on the half hour that a save was needed from either keeper - Luke Daniels making a routine stop. Centre-back Marlon Broomes dealt well with the resulting corner, despite being under intense pressure from Jackson.
Sordell tried an acrobatic volley on 40 minutes after John Welsh had put the ball into the danger zone, but his effort on the turn flew well over.
Impressive youngster Rooney then crashed a shot against the bar just after half-time after wonderful skill and trickery from ex-Spurs winger Andy Barcham had found him unmarked in the box.
Rovers had a penalty appeal turned away on 52 minutes when Welsh's run from midfield was unceremoniously halted on the edge of the area. Welsh shrugged off that disappointment and continued to cause the Gills problems and two minutes later the former Liverpool starlet fired just over with a snap shot on the half volley.
A piece of outrageous skill on 57 minutes from substitute Gareth Edds forced an equally impressive save from Julian. The midfielder first flicked the ball over Mark Bentley before volleying across goal - forcing the keeper to save low to his right.
Edds was in the thick of it again on the hour when he out-jumped Josh Gowling to head goalwards but Julian was again up to the task.
Thomas-Moore finally grabbed what proved to be the winner midway through the second period when he slid the ball home at the back post after Edds' cross had caused disarray in the Gills box.
The former Hartlepool man could have doubled his side's advantage soon after but his control let him down as he raced onto a Terry Gornell through ball.
The goal forced the home side forward and within five minutes Palmer nearly brought the scores level when his low shot rolled just past the post.
As frustrations began to boil over Stimson's decision to withdraw Bentley for Adam Miller was audibly booed by the furious home fans.
The Gills piled forward in a frantic final quarter with Palmer rolling a shot wide before Danny Jackman and Dennis Oli blazed half-chances over the bar.
But Rovers hung in, as they so often have since Parry took the reins, and ground out their eighth, and arguably most important, win of the campaign.
GILLINGHAM: Julian, Fuller, Gowling, Dennehy, Palmer, Rooney (Oli 69), Bentley (Miller 71), Jackman, Barcham, Weston (Walker 83), Jackson. Subs: Royce, Maher, Wynter, Payne.
TRANMERE ROVERS: Daniels, Logan, McLaren, Thomas-Moore, Welsh, Taylor (Edds 24), Broomes, Bakayogo, Curran, McCready, Sordell (Gornell 77). Subs: Collister, Barnett, Mahon, Cresswell, Shuker.
Referee: Roger East (Wiltshire).
Attendance: 3,840
The highlights from the game here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/8509485.stm
(Report provided by www.wirralnews.co.uk)
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REF
FIXTURES
Saturday, February 13th; (all kick-offs 15.00): Brentford v Wycombe, Brighton v Norwich, Carlisle v MK Dons, Huddersfield v Swindon, Leyton Orient v Leeds United, Millwall v Exeter, Oldham v Walsall, Southend v Tranmere, Stockport v Colchester, Yeovil v Gillingham.
(Southampton are not playing Hartlepool due to their involvement in the F.A. Cup fifth round.)
Monday, February 15th: Bristol Rovers v Charlton, 19:45.
Tuesday, February 16th; (all kick-offs 19.45): Carlisle v Huddersfield, Leeds United v Walsall, Yeovil v Colchester.
BET
To Win:
Tranmere - 11/10, Draw - 12/5, Tranmere - 11/4.
The club was founded by a merger of two local cricket clubs in 1884, before changing its name from
Though they played in blue shirts and white shorts for much of their existence, the club's traditional home kit is now regarded as white shirt, shorts and socks, with blue trim.
The name Tranmere refers to a district in the south of Birkenhead, on the eastern side of the
The club has faced years of strong competition for supporters from the two much larger local clubs,
John Aldridge, the former
Between 1991 and 2001 they were in the second tier of English football, reaching the play-offs three times and the League Cup final once before being relegated.
Former
As of the 1st May 2009 Tranmere were in 7th place, 2 points behind Scunthorpe United in 6th place with both teams only having one league game remaining. This game was between the two sides at
Tranmere scored in the first half through Craig Curran, but unfortunately for them
Ronnie Moore was sacked by Tranmere on the 5th June 2009. In an official statement, the club said: "Attendances have dropped by more than 19 per cent during the last three years and the club felt that now is the right time to move forward in a new direction."
John Barnes was officially named as manager of Tranmere Rovers on 15 June 2009, with Jason McAter assisting him, after Barnes himself had confirmed the appointment a day earlier.
Tranmere suffered a miserable start to the season, and Barnes' reign was under pressure almost immediately. A run of six successive losses was halted by a draw with Colchester United and then a win over Wycombe Wanderers.
Any hopes of a revival were immediately dashed by a comprehensive 5-0 loss to Millwall, Tranmere's worst defeat in six years, giving the team the worst goal difference of any side in the English leagues and fuelling talk of relegation even at this early stage in the season.
Both Barnes and McAteer were sacked by the board on October 9th 2009. Chairman Peter Johnson told the club website: "Unfortunately results have not gone our way this season and we are at the wrong end of the table. We must now focus on finding the best possible candidate."
Physiotherapist Les Parry was placed in temporary charge, assisted by reserve boss Shaun Garnett, and on December 16th the positions were made permanent until the end of the season.
To read more about that, go here: www.tranmererovers.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10365~1906747,00.html
F
or a more comprehensive history of the club, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranmere_Rovers_F.C.