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Match Reports

Report: Tranmere Rovers 2-2 Gillingham

7 September 2019

Second-half goals from Connor Jennings and Paul Mullin secured a spirited 2-2 home draw for Tranmere Rovers against Gillingham at Prenton Park in Sky Bet League One on Saturday afternoon.

Alex Jakubiak and Alfie Jones scored in the first-half to put the visitors 2-0 up at half-time.

But Rovers roared back after the break and were level through goals in three second-half minutes from Jennings and Mullin to earn a share of the spoils.

Manager Micky Mellon named an unchanged starting line-up for the fixture with the Gills to the one that earned a 1-1 draw away to Rotherham United last weekend.

Tranmere began brightly on a sun-kissed afternoon on the Wirral, and almost led within the opening six minutes when Paul Mullin bent a shot from the left-edge of the box across goal to crash off the base of Jack Bonham’s post.

Gillingham were in front on 16 minutes when Jakubiak pounced on the rebound when Rovers goalkeeper Scott Davies’ kept out an initial Max Ehmer header from a corner.

In response, Tranmere went close through Mullin again, who linked up well with Stefan Payne but saw his low strike pushed behind by Bonham.

Jennings later flashed a volley just over the crossbar as Tranmere pushed to level.

Davies later did well to thwart Mikael Mandron in a one-on-one situation after the forward had been played through.

Steve Evans’ Gills found themselves two goals up with 35 minutes played, when Ben Pringle’s attempt from the right was palmed out by Davies to Jones, who struck into an empty net.

Rovers made two changes after the break in an attempt to find a route back into the contest, with Ollie Banks and Calum Woods replaced Kieron Morris and Sid Nelson.

With seven minutes of the half played, Jennings was neatly played in by Mullin and from the right-side of the penalty area, with just Bonham to beat, he struck his right-footed attempt which was saved by Bonham’s feet.

But Rovers pulled themselves level by scoring twice in three minutes after Mullin had seen a penalty tipped around the post by Bonham.

From Ollie Banks’ resulting corner from the left, Payne’s header was tipped onto the crossbar by Bonham but the scramble that followed allowed an unmarked Jennings to prod home with the outside of his right-boot from six-yards.

And TRFC’s fighting spirit proved a catalyst to equalise after 70 minutes when Payne provided his second assist, feeding Mullin down the right, who burst into the box to find the roof of Bonham’s goal.

Rovers searched for a winner late on, but earned a deserved point after coming back from two goals down, as they head to Oxford United in the third-tier next weekend.

TRFC: Davies ©, Ridehalgh, Ray, Monthe, Nelson (Woods, 45) Morris (Banks 45), Potter, Perkins, Jennings, Mullin (Hepburn-Murphy 82) Payne

Subs not used: Pilling, Ponticelli, Gilmour, Borthwick-Jackson


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