Crosby hails Rovers’ fight as drop zone stays in view

By Martha MacLennan

FLEETWOOD T 0

FLEETWOOD: Lynch 8, Bennett 7, Bolton 8, Wiredu 7, Rooney 7 (Broom 83, 6), Virtue 6 (Mayor 76, 6), Neal 7, Helm 6 (Potter 76, 7), Patterson 8, Moore 6 (Marsh 62, 6), Devonport 6 (Lane 83, 6). Subs not used: Hewitson, Cover.

TRANMERE R 0

Att: 3,421 Rating: ★★★★★ Ref: Alex Chilowicz 6/10

TRANMERE: McGee 7, O’Connor 7, Turnbull 8, Bradshaw 7, Norman 7, Finley 7, Merrie 7, Patrick 7 (Taylor 89), Hawkes 7 (Morris 60, 6), Hendry 6 (Jennings 60, 6), Saunders 6 (Dennis 59, 6). Subs not used: Garrett, Egan, Jackson.

ANDY Crosby said he felt his Tranmere side deserved at least a point as they extended their unbeaten league run to five matches with a goalless draw at Fleetwood.

Rovers have now kept consecutive clean sheets for the first time since August as they fight to move away from the League Two drop zone.

“Our desire to run, to fight and to scrap is a credit to all the players,” said Crosby, the Whites’ interim manager.

“We’ve now got four points from two really tough away games and nine points from the last five. But we have to follow that up when we play at home next Friday.

“I think we did deserve to shade it just, but we’ll take the point and move onto the next game.

“I don’t think we did enough when we had the ball in the final third and didn’t create enough when we had one-on-ones and overloads, and these are the things we need to be better at and improve on.

“We had enough opportunities in and around the final third to be better and more effective. We have to keep building and keep improving to back that up.”

The home side were almost ahead in the fifth minute when Mark Helm let fly after a surging run, only to see the ball whistle past a post.

At the other end, Sam Finley fired narrowly over from range for the visitors who enjoyed plenty of possession as the half wore on.

Tranmere thought they had taken the lead before the interval when Jordan Turnbull forced the ball home from a corner, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

After the break Rovers continued to look dangerous with Harvey Saunders sending a shot just wide of a post and substitute Kristian Dennis

firing straight at Jay Lynch.

The home side’s best chances in the second half fell to Helm, whose effort from range drifted wide, while Phoenix Patterson’s stoppage-time free-kick went just over the bar.

“I think it was a hard-fought battle and both teams battled really well,” said Fleetwood manager Pete Wild.

“We knew they would be fighting for their lives, so the message all week has been to try and match their aggression and fight and I thought we did that in abundance.

“I actually thought we more than matched them and imposed ourselves on them for much of the game. I was really pleased with that.”