Defeat sees Tranmere slip into relegation places

DAG & RED...........................3

(Att: 4,762)

TRANMERE Rovers fell into the relegation places after defeat against Dagenham and Redbdrige in a high-scoing encounter at Prenton Park.

A first half strike by Jamie Cureton for the Daggers was cancelled out by Danny Gardner's first goal for Tranmere before the break.

Second half goals from Ashley Hemmings and Billy Bingham saw Dagenham into a 3-1 lead before Max Power set up a tense finish with a goal back on 87 minutes.

But it was not enough and despite late pressure for an equaliser, Dagenham held on to take all three points.

Manager Micky Adams made sweeping changes to the side that lost to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday.

Janoi Donacien returned on loan from Aston Villa to start while Jason Koumas, Rob Taylor, Rory Donnelly, Jennison Myrie-Williams and Josh Thompson all moved into the starting line-up.

Picture: Geoff Davies.

For the visitors, former Tranmere loanee Shamir Fenelon began up front alongside their leading goalscorer Jamie Cureton while ex-Rovers midfielder Joss Labadie was named on the bench.

Adams said now is not the time for panic, "but we've got to be better."

He said: "Going forward we created chances but in the last two home games we would have had to score three times to have got something out of them.

"You can't do that. We've made mistakes at the back and been punished.

"Defensively it was not good enough, miles not good enough.

"Eight minutes into the second half it was practically game over. Having said that we kept going and could have got something out of the game.

"It's hard for everybody to take, the supporters not least of all. I'm responsible for it, I'm not pointing the finger at anybody else, I'm looking at myself as well.

"We've got to keep going. I know we've gone into the bottom two but there are still teams in and around us.

"It's basic errors that are killing us at this moment in time. They've got to look at themselves and I've got to look at the work we're doing."

Picture: Geoff Davies.

Adams said he has confidence he can turn things around: "People are probably writing us off but we've got to stand up and be strong and face up to our problems. We've got to focus on the challenge ahead.

"I've been backed fantastically well by the chairman, I can't keep going to him. We've got to work our way through this.

"We reacted superbly when we were bottom and second bottom. We've shown before we can deal with the situation - and we've got to do it again."

Rovers are now 23rd in the league on 34 points, swapping positions with Cheltenham who drew 1-1 with Mansfield.

Next Saturday, they travel to face tenth-placed Northampton Town.