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The first shot of the game came the way of Carlisle though on five minutes when Conor Tinnion laid off possession to Steven Swinglehurst, United's 16-year old left-back then cutting in before slicing an 18-yard right-footer across goal and wide. Chris McDougall then setting Ryan Bowman free down the right-hand channel four minutes later with a nice pass, Bowman's right-footed effort from 15 yards out being well saved by the legs of the Rovers goalkeeper.
Sixty seconds on and it was Carlisle attacking again when Tinnion fired a left-footed 25-yarder in from a free-kick for a foul on Bowman, the Tranmere stopper again in the right place though as he saved low down at his near-post. The visitors number eleven then getting Tranmere going at the right end of the pitch after 12 minutes with a left-footed shot from the left-angle of the United penalty area that flew over Alex Mitchell's crossbar.
Carlisle's Liam Davison was the next player shooting in the 16th minute as his right-footed half-volley from 25 yards out went wide of the visitors far-post. Davison then feeding McDougall in for a chance five minutes later, but under pressure McDougall's effort from just inside the Rovers penalty area on his right boot went straight at the busy keeper.
Bang on the half-hour mark and Tranmere striker Josh Macauley, who had been called up to the first team for the Rovers v Carlisle double-header at the end of January, got on the end of a cross in from the left, his right-footed touch on the ball in being easily pounced on by Mitchell. Macauley then fouled by Davison 25 yards to the right of the United 'D' shortly afterwards, the set-piece curler coming in from the Rovers left-back was a simple one for Mitchell to take though.
A visitors midfielder picked up on Swinglehurst's headed clearance on 33 minutes but his right-footed half-volley from 25 yards out was rushed and went well wide of Mitchell's right-hand post. Two minutes later Macauley missing a great chance to score for Tranmere when, completely unmarked deep in the United penalty area, he mistimed his header from a left-wing cross and saw it only bounce meekly into the grateful arms of Mitchell.
With 37 minutes on the clock Blues right-back Simon Lakeland made an excellent block on a 15-yard shot from a Tranmere corner, the next flag-kick in seeing Mitchell take the ball well. The same Rovers player who had earlier rushed his half-volley then hitting a right-footed shot across the United goal but wide three minutes later. The last action of note in the half coming after 44 minutes when one of the visitors centre-halves was swapped for another from their bench.
Three minutes after the break nothing more than a bout of handbags between Tinnion and the Rovers left-back saw the Tranmere player go into the referee's notebook. Tinnion again involved on 53 minutes when his corner in was met by Davison's right boot at the near-post, the ball though pinging out behind off his marker with Tinnion's resultant flag-kick this time producing nothing for United.
John Seaton then stuck an excellent low cross in from the right after 55 minutes, McDougall just getting in first to the ball only to see his flicked touch well saved on the line by the visitors goalkeeper. In a busy spell in the game Davison then moments later hitting a right-footed 25-yarder straight at the Rovers glovesman before James Reid came on for McDougall.
Reid a powerful looking rangy striker with a bit of Andy Preece about him as a couple of fellow spectators remarked, the 17-year old Birmingham-born frontman performing well on the pitch after joining Carlisle last Thursday on non-contract terms to the end of the season. Reid the only United substitute used on the day as the trio of Mark Gillespie, Sean Law and James Wood were joined in a watching capacity by the injured Matt Duffy and Workington-loanee Andy Cook.
Bowman had been reading up on the rulebook in the 58th minute when he stood miles offside waiting for a long Mitchell goal-kick on the wind to reach him. He couldn't find a finishing touch though as his 15-yard right-footer was well blocked by the Rovers goalkeeper, Seaton then sticking a cross in from the right but the Tranmere stopper had got up quickly enough to catch at his back-stick Reid's header from eight yards out.
A goal did come for Carlisle though right on the hour-mark when Bowman put in a nice cross from the right, Davison on the penalty spot getting on the end of it to send a well placed header over the top of the keeper and into the roof of the net. Reid was then pushing forward for United moments later when he cut in at pace from the left only to slice his right-footed drive from 20 yards out across goal and wide.
The 64th minute saw Tinnion feed the ball into Jonny Blake and the United midfielder hit in a 20-yard half-volley on his weaker foot which forced a good save out of the Rovers goalkeeper at his near-post. Tinnion and Seaton then working a short corner which saw Tinnion ghost past two defenders before his left-footed cross in was caught a visitors glovesman who was certainly earning his corn on the day.
Sixty seconds later Tranmere made a change upfront and also went to 4-3-3, then after 67 minutes, following a Tinnion foul over in the far corner, Swinglehurst made a tremendous headed clearance over his own crossbar from close range after the free-kick had been curled in goalwards. A Rovers midfielder then failing to take an excellent chance from the corner as he raced in unmarked only to sidefoot the ball weakly wide from ten yards out.
Macauley then wasting another good headed opportunity provided for him by the Tranmere left-winger in the 71st minute, this time his six-yard header sailing well over the top of Mitchell's goal. Bowman though holding up possession well for Carlisle sixty seconds later, his resultant one-two with Davison then seeing a covering Tranmere player nick the ball off his toes in the penalty area to produce a Tinnion corner which was easily cleared by a defender.
A Rovers shot came in from distance on 74 minutes which Mitchell was able to watch fly well over, then two minutes later it was Macauley's failings in the air again that was costing Tranmere. A ball in from the Rovers right-back seeing the young striker head back across goal from eight yards out but once he more was off target as he effort flew wide of Mitchell's left-hand post.
With 82 minutes on the clock Reid fed Bowman in for a shot but Bowman's right-footed strike from the edge of the Tranmere penalty area went well over the top of the Rovers goal. The visitors substitute centre-half then looking to find a late equaliser five minutes later as he ran in 15 yards out on a left-wing cross only to head away over the Carlisle crossbar.
The last chance for there to be another goal in the match coming in the 88th minute when Mitchell's long boot upfield was headed down by Davison into the feet of Reid with his back to the Rovers goal. The big striker then turning quickly before hammering in a right-footed drive from 25 yards out which whistled inches wide of the Tranmere near-post.
So back to winning ways today for the lads, all twelve of them that played putting in an excellent hard-working performance to take all three points, particularly the two players that haven't got a mention so far, those being the centre-half pairing of Tom Aldred and Jamie Cleary, who along with Lakeland and Swinglehurst grafted hard to protect Mitchell as much as possible.
It doesn't get any easier from here though as next Saturday comes the big game away to Wrexham in which both sides really need a win to keep up their title hopes with Burnley, and their big list of games in hand, currently holding the upper hand on paper. The Clarets defeating Bury 3-0 at home at the weekend while Wrexham could only surprisingly draw 1-1 at lowly Rochdale.
United line-up :
Alex Mitchell, Simon Lakeland, Steven Swinglehurst, Tom Aldred, Jamie Cleary, Jonny Blake, Liam Davison, John Seaton, Ryan Bowman, Chris McDougall (James Reid 57), Conor Tinnion.
Unused substitutes :
Mark Gillespie (GK), Sean Law and James Wood.
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