Tranmere Rovers played out a 0-0 draw at Port Vale to maintain their unbeaten start to the league season.
Both teams created opportunities throughout, but were unable to find a breakthrough at Vale Park, with more than 1,000 TRFC supporters in attendance, seeing our blue and claret away shirt making its debut.
Calum McManaman and Ryan Watson were both named on the bench by manager Micky Mellon.
Liam Feeney made his 50th appearance for the Club, playing in an advanced midfield role, with Sam Foley and Jay Spearing just behind the former Blackburn Rovers and Millwall man.
The hosts, playing their first league back in front of fans, boasted an experienced line up including the likes of James Wilson, Mal Benning and long standing defender, Leon Legge.
Rovers had an early scare in the first few seconds when a long ball by Vale from kick-off saw James Wilson get the right side of Nat Knight-Percival and Keiron Morris, but an important intervention by Tom Davies saw TRFC clear for a corner.
A cross from Mal Banning nearly caught Joe Murphy off guard from the left channel, as the ball clipped the frame of the goal.
Tranmere had a couple of sights on goal themselves only for late blocks from the home defence, showing they were more than a threat for their opponents.
In the 19th minute, Mellon’s men had a glorious chance to go one goal to the good when Morris played the ball down the line for Liam Feeney to cross the ball to the back post for Josh Cogley, but the full back miss hit his shot.
A nice passage of play, once again including Morris and Feeney, saw the former play a clever one touch flick to the latter on the half way line. Racing through on goal, Feeney found space just inside the penalty area to take aim, but his shot was wayward, and straight into the autonet insurance stand.
On the turn, former Salford man Wilson nearly fired Vale in front but Joe Murphy was alert and dived down onto the ball.
Wilson was proving to be a handful for the hosts, and a third attempt by Vale’s number nine flew wide of the post.
Again, Vale came close when a corner to the back post resulted in a header by Legge which was blocked bravely by Emmanuel Dieseruvwe.
At the other end, Morris had a shot blocked by Dan Jones, denying a very clear goal scoring opportunity for Mellon’s side.
Tranmere had the first chance of the second period, when Dieseruvwe brought the ball down expertly inside the penalty area for Feeney to shoot, but he failed to hit the target.
At the other end, Wilson lashed a shot wide from the edge of the box in the 50th minute. Vale knocked on the Tranmere door again and a strong arm from Murphy denied the hosts taking the lead.
In the 56th minute, McManaman was introduced for Paul Glatzel in a first change for TRFC.
Tranmere tested Lucas Covolan in the home goal, the goalkeeper who scored for Torquay in the National League Play-Off final, earlier this summer, when Feeney’s cross was met by Dieseruvwe, but there was not enough power behind the chance.
Murphy was called in action in front of more than 1,000 travelling Tranmere supporters with a strong hand to deny Vale sub Jamie Proctor, but even if the former Preston man had scored, it wouldn’t have counted due to the striker pushing a TRFC defender in the lead up.
Vale came knocking once more with another shot from just inside the penalty area, but they were unable to hit the target.
Rovers had a glorious chance to take all three points when Sam Foley’s cross was headed wide by Nathanial Knight-Percival. Vale likewise had a glorious opportunity but yet again denied by Murphy, a wonderful performance by TRFC’s number 13.
Feeney was withdrawn for Watson with seconds remaining, but the match finished 0-0 and Tranmere move onto four points with a win and draw in their first two matches.
Tranmere: Murphy, Cogley, Knight-Percival, Davies, Clarke, Morris, Spearing, Foley, Feeney, Glatzel (McManaman 56), Dieseruvwe. Unused subs: Doohan, Jolley, Maguire, Hayde, Watson, Stratulis.
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