One of the most impressive FA Cup performances of the weekend was Tranmere's 3-0 victory at Bradford and now Rovers can look forward to a tie against Hereford in the third round. The Merseyside outfit have made a fine start to the season, taking 24 points from their first 17 games of the campaign – to sit just two points off the play-off pace. Givemefootball's Mark Shail caught up with experienced Welsh international goalkeeper Danny Coyne to get his thoughts on Saturday's win as well as looking ahead to tomorrow's league clash with Danny Wilson's Hartlepool.
Q:YOU MUST HAVE BEEN DELIGHTED WITH THE MANNER OF THE WIN AT BRADFORD?
A:Very much so. Bradford is never an easy place to go but to get three goals was very satisfying. We've been struggling to score goals in recent matches so to score three times in open play was pleasing – and we could have had more because we created plenty of opportunities. Now we can look forward to Hereford in the next round.
Q:AND A CLEAN SHEET IS ALWAYS NICE FOR A GOALKEEPER?
A:It's always good to get any result but the clean sheet was a bonus. The lads defended very well and worked hard for the win. I know Bradford are in the league below us but they are big club and any away fixtures in the FA Cup are always difficult.
Q:THE LEAGUE ONE TABLE IS STARTING TO LOOK VERY CONGESTED, ISN’T IT?
A:It's really tight, in fact there are only ten points separating the side in sixth place and the team in 20th spot. It's a question of putting a run of results together and then you can climb up the table very quickly. Only a couple of weeks ago Nottingham Forest beat us when we were above them in the table and now they're up to second after a few wins. That shows what can be done if you go on a consistent run.
Q:I SUPPOSE THE FLIP-SIDE OF THAT IS THAT YOU CAN DROP DOWN THE TABLE VERY QUICKLY ON THE BACK OF A COUPLE OF DEFEATS?
A:Yes, that's why it is so important to keep picking up the results on a consistent basis. Before that win on Saturday we had failed to score in our two previous matches and as a result we dropped down a few places in the table. It wasn't that we weren't creating chances, we just weren't putting them away but on Saturday everything fell into place.
Q:ARE YOU FREE FROM YOUR KNEE PROBLEMS NOW?
A:The knee feels fine at the moment, touch wood, and I'm really enjoying my football. Having had a long-term knee problem, it's a question of maintaining the strength work around the knee to keep it as strong as possible – I suppose I'll have to continue doing that for the remainder of my career. I did have a slight calf strain at the start of the season that kept me out for a few weeks but that's fully recovered now.
Q:WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AHEAD OF TOMORROW'S GAME AGAINST HARTLEPOOL?
A:I know they have had a couple of indifferent results lately but Hartlepool are normally a very strong side at home and we're expecting a tough game. Danny Wilson has them well organised and in Barker up front they've got a player that our defenders will have to keep a close eye on. But we will have gained a lot of confidence from the result at the weekend and hopefully we can continue in that vein.
