Alarm bells ringing as Rovers slip in vital relegation 'six-pointer' (From Wirral Globe)

Alarm bells ringing as Rovers slip in vital relegation 'six-pointer'

9:42am Monday 8th February 2010

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THE alarm bells were ringing loud and clear at Prenton Park on Saturday evening after Tranmere stumbled to a disappointing defeat in their relegation six-pointer against Oldham Athletic.

Pawel Abbott’s simple near-post header from a 41st-minute corner was enough for the visitors to seal three points and condemn Rovers to their sixth home defeat in Coca Cola League One.

There may well be 18 games still remaining before the final reckoning and just three points separating Les Parry’s side from a place above the relegation zone, but on this evidence the signs are ominous indeed.

If Rovers are to escape the trap-door, victories in home games against their fellow strugglers will be absolutely essential. Against Oldham here, however, the home side were never in any danger of claiming all three points.

The tide flowing into Rovers’ net may well have been stemmed, but at the other end, goals are proving incredibly hard to come by.

Again, there was plenty of endeavour, but a fundamental lack of quality and creativity in the final third gave Oldham goalkeeper Dean Brill a fairly comfortable afternoon.

A glimmer of hope may have arrived in the form of 18-year-old loanee, Marvin Sordell. The Watford youngster replaced Terry Gornell early in the second half and looked lively, helping to create a couple of openings with incisive play and forcing Brill into a neat double save late on.

Another substitute, Charlie Barnett, also offered something different when he was introduced with 10 minutes remaining, and with Alan Mahon also sitting on the bench and big Bas Savage due back from injury in the next couple of weeks, the management team certainly have options at their disposal for freshening up their side.

And there’s no doubt that this side are in need of a fresh spark. Like their last home game against Yeovil, the first-half was a fairly listless affair. Former Tranmere player Jason Price sliced wide for the visitors and Aaron Cresswell and Thomas-Moore both tested Brill at the other end, but in general neither side really threatened until Abbott’s opener.

The former Huddersfield striker should have doubled his side’s advantage just a couple of minutes after breaking the deadlock, but he volleyed high over the bar after seizing on the loose ball.

The second half, played under an ever-thickening blanket of fog, saw Luke Daniels save acrobatically from Danny Whittaker and Ash Taylor head straight at Brill in injury time.

With long trips to fellow strugglers Gillingham and Southend coming up, this coming week could have a significant impact on Rovers’ season.

Globe Man of the Match: Marvin Sordell – injected new life into Rovers on debut.

Tranmere: Daniels, Logan, Cresswell, Taylor, Goodison, Shuker, Curran (sub: Barnett, 79), Welsh (sub: Edds, 71), McLaren, Gornell (sub: Sordell, 54), Thomas-Moore.

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