Peter Clarke was delighted to register a clean sheet as Tranmere Rovers clinched a comfortable 2-0 triumph over Southend United.
By shutting out the Shrimpers, the Whites secured a fourth shutout of the Sky Bet League Two campaign.
One individual who has been at the heart of Tranmere’s impressive defensive record is Peter Clarke, who opened the scoring for Mike Jackson’s side with his first goal for the Club.
Reflecting on an important victory and his overall match contribution, Clarke said: “We’re delighted to get the win and a clean sheet is always nice as a defender. To get on the scoresheet is always nice and to get our noses in front with that was great. It gave us a lead to defend and just added a bit of impetus to our performance, that we didn’t have in the early part of the game.
“It was a great ball in from Liam, we know what he’s all about. I managed to time the run well enough to get on the end of it. You’ve got a good idea of where he’s going to play the ball into and when you’ve worked with him and trained with him, you know the sort of deliveries he likes to put in.
The 38-year-old added: “As the game wore on, I don’t think Scott had an awful lot to do. What he did have to do was nothing out of the ordinary and I think we managed the latter part of the game well. We used a bit of experience to keep the ball at the right times and were able to see it out relatively comfortably.”
With Manny Monthe out of the side for the second game in succession, Clarke featured alongside Mark Ellis once more- rekindling a defensive partnership struck at the end of last term.
The duo impressed in each other’s company on Saturday afternoon, helping the hosts claim a vital three points on home soil.
“We played together at the end of last season, before it was curtailed due to the pandemic. You know what you’re going to get from Mark: he’s solid, reliable and does all the things you’d want a centre-half to do. We’re pleased with the performance and clean sheet,” added Clarke.