Tranmere Rovers set for FA Cup first round clash with Braintree Town (From Wirral Globe)

Tranmere Rovers set for FA Cup first round clash with Braintree Town

1:37pm Friday 2nd November 2012 in News By Craig Manning

TRANMERE Rovers take a break from League One this weekend to face Braintree Town in the FA Cup first round.

Sunday's match at Cressing Road, kicking off at 12.30pm, will be televised live on ITV1. It will the eighth match Rovers have played in the competition which has been broadcast live.

Their first ever FA Cup game shown on live TV ended with a 1-1 draw against York City in the second round in 1991-92. Johnny Morrissey the scorer for then manager John King's team.

It was more than eight years until the next live game which saw Tranmere lose 3-2 at home to Newcastle United in the sixth round. On target for John Aldridge's team were Gary Jones and Wayne Allison.

Their 4-3 comeback victory over Southampton was next before the cameras the following season. Since then Rovers have had FA Cup ties against Liverpool, Millwall (twice) and Accrington Stanley, all broadcast live.

In the seven matches played the Club has won two, drawn two and lost three. The Club has also been shown live on the FA website, losing 1-0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2010.

Looking foward to Sunday, Rovers captain James Wallace said he will be fulfilling two childhood ambitions when he lines up for the squad.

He added "It's always something you dream of when you’re a kid and you also dream of playing in the FA Cup and it will be the first time for me being at a team permanently and playing in the FA Cup. So I’m looking forward to it.

"They’ll make it hard for us but we’ve just got to do what we’ve been doing and treat it as if we’re playing a League One team. Hopefully we’ll get a result.

"Getting the draw against Preston has got us back on the front foot. I don’t think we fully deserved it but in the end you’ll take it.

"We played brilliantly against Doncaster and were beaten so that shows how the league works. It’s a mad league. I think our momentum is building again and we’ve got to build on it on Sunday in the cup."

Rovers retain their place at the top of the League One table by the slender margin of two points.

Ronnie Moore believes his side rapidly needs to return to winning ways after they drew 1-1 with Preston North End last weekend.
 

Moore is without striker Jake Cassidy and midfielder Liam Palmer for Sunday’s FA Cup tie.

The pair, on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday respectively, have not being given permission to play in the competition by their parent clubs.

Moore said: "Jake and Liam can't play, both clubs have asked that we don't play them on Sunday and we've got to adhere to what they want.

"It gives the opportunity to two more lads who are here to step on to the stage."

Nathan Eccleston, on loan from Blackpool, could miss the rest of his spell at Prenton Park after picking up a hamstring injury in training and is ruled out of the squad for Sunday.