Sir Philip Sidney, late of Shrewsbury and dying on the battlefield of Zutphen in 1586, famously handed his water-bottle to a fellow soldier with the words: "Thy necessity is yet greater than mine." Tranmere Rovers and Shrewsbury Town found themselves in a comparable situation at Prenton Park and the foot of League One on Saturday. Thanks to Bill Shankly, Merseyside knows better than most where football stands in the order of things and Rovers unashamedly won 2-1. Gallantry left the game when the Corinthians declined to miss penalties intentionally.

John McMahon, newly appointed assistant manager, said: "All those little clouds hanging over the club this season, hopefully they will start to disappear." There is at least light between Rovers and relegation as they go to Crawley on Tuesday for a match in hand on four of those below them.

Tranmere have had a torrid season. In December two squad members, Ian Goodison and Akpo Sodje, were arrested as part of an investigation into illegal overseas betting syndicates. Goodison was captain on bail on Saturday. In February the club suspended their manager, Ronnie Moore, as the FA's Football Integrity Unit investigated a potential breach of betting rules. This month he admitted an FA charge and was sacked with expedition that was honourable and reluctant.

Moore is a legend as player and manager at Rovers. His son, Ian, tweeted: "For the record £1,100 was his outlay of bets in three years, he won £900! Not one was on Tranmere to lose, it's a family account." Also, for the record, the Football League is sponsored by Sky Bet.

Things have not been much better on the field. Tranmere had one point after four games, five after 10 and have never been higher than 17th. Their squad of 30 shows five goalkeepers and conceding four goals or more in three of their first eight home games suggested they should have played them all at once. In fact Owain Fon Williams has been irreplaceable for three seasons and, sure as necessary on Saturday, saw Rovers to their first back-to-back wins of the season. McMahon, brother of Liverpool's Steve and one-time assistant at Shrewsbury, said: "We've climbed two mountains and we've got five to go."

Any side with Max Power in midfield should have drive. In the event Shrewsbury dominated midfield but they are the divison's lowest scorers, dreaming of Arthur Rowley as Rovers may of Dixie Dean. At least they have Ryan Lowe with 19 this season. Power headed them in front in the 19th minute; Paul Parry equalised for Shrewsbury in the 73rd; and slack work by Jermaine Grandison let in Junior Brown for the winner in the 85th.

A proposed sale of Rovers fell through this month and they now plan to issue two million shares with 300,000 offered to the Tranmere Rovers Trust with a place on the board. Their chairman, Peter Johnson, said: "I took the club out of administration in 1987 and am not prepared to let it fall back into it." Last week, recognising "a tough 12 months for supporters", the club rewarded the loyalty with reduced prices for season tickets as the trust, at a dinner, raised £18,000 towards a statue of John King, the celebrated former manager. "We've got a massive responsibility as players and staff to survive for the people of Wirral, for supporters and people who work here," McMahon said. What price a statue for another King John in 25 years?

Meanwhile Shrewsbury, newly managed by a former Rovers defender Mike Jackson, host Crewe on Friday, another occasion for famous last words – and one perhaps for the referee Darren Deadman?