Tranmere will kick off with confidence

10:11am Monday 4th August 2008

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TRANMERE Rovers will begin their Coca Cola League One campaign next Saturday with plenty of confidence after producing their best performance of the pre-season programme to inflict a 1-0 defeat on Championship side, Blackpool, at Prenton Park.

With Rovers likely to give their fringe and youth players a start at Cammell Laird on Monday night, this represented Ronnie Moore's final chance to run the rule over his likely starters ahead of next weekend's big kick-off at Swindon Town.

Although the only real test of Moore's new 4-3-3 system will come once the competitive action gets underway, the signs here against higher level opposition were promising.

The Rovers squad, complete with seven new faces, is slowly but surely adapting to a new shape which has brought a different mindset and new responsibilities.

The change has certainly given Moore plenty of options. Some 12 players are fighting it out for the three midfield and three forward berths, and within that group, it is youngsters Craig Curran and Charlie Barnett that have caught the eye.

The teenage pair, and new signing Barnett in particular, were impressive again here.

Having begun pre-season as outsiders for a starting place, both have surely now done enough to force their way onto the teamsheet at Swindon, with their potential impact highlighted by a superb contribution to the excellent opening goal on the half-hour.

Although Rovers made an encouraging start, stringing together some incisive yet innocuous passages of possession, it was Blackpool who created the first opening, Stephen McPhee scuffing wide after Ben Burgess' neat pass split the Tranmere defence.

The hosts continued to impress, particularly with their desire to pass the ball rather than look long, and the good movement which gave multiple options to the man in possession.

Curran was denied by a decent Matty Gilkes save after bursting into the box, and Bas Savage forced the keeper into another stop after collecting the rebound.

While Blackpool looked a distant second to Rovers in general play, the Seasiders threatened when they approached Rovers' final third, and only a superb John Achterberg save kept out Ben Burgess' header.

Rovers reaped the rewards of their goalkeeper's agility minutes later with the opening goal. After a Blackpool attack broke down, Rovers countered with pace, energy and incisiveness that caught the visitors cold, Edrissa Sonko bursting down the right and showing good awareness to pick out Curran on the left-side of the penalty area, who squared for Barnett to finish in the bottom corner.

Achterberg was in fine form again just seven minutes after the interval, palming McPhee's placed finish over the bar after Ian Goodison had fluffed his clearance, while at the other end, Barnett went close to claiming his second with a shot from distance.

The only other chances of note in the second period fell to Bas Savage, who headed inches wide from Adnan Ahmed's free-kick, Terry Gornell, whose header was sell saved by Gilkes, and Ahmed, who failed to finish decisively when well placed in the final minute.

Globe Man of the Match: Charlie Barnett - all-action performance from young midfielder.

Tranmere: Achterberg, Kay, Taylor (sub: Cresswell, 78 mins), Chorley, Goodison, O'Callaghan (sub: Henry, 82 mins), Jennings, Barnett (sub: Ahmed, 70 mins), Savage, Sonko (sub: Gornell, 70 mins), Curran.