Tranmere Rovers defeated AFC Wimbledon by three goals to two in our final home game of the season thanks to goals from Harvey Saunders, Rob Apter, and Connor Jennings.
Harvey Saunders started typically full of energy for Rovers and raced in on Nik Tzanev in the early exchanges, but was stopped by a strong sliding challenge from Ryan Johnson.
20 minutes into the contest, Regan Hendry played a beauty of a ball over the top for Saunders before winning a corner, playing it short, and then winning a free kick on the edge of the box for Rovers. The Scot played a short one-two with Connor Jennings before drilling it goalwards, but the effort was blocked.
Rovers had another chance through Saunders six minutes later when the forward struck a Rob Apter cross first time, but Tzanev was down to turn it behind for a corner.
It was that man Saunders whose goal meant Rovers took the lead ten minutes from the break. The forward raced in on Tzanev before stroking home into the far corner.
In the final game of his loan spell at Prenton Park, Apter doubled Rovers’ lead with a typical cut inside from the right and slot home with the left goal on the stroke of half time for his 13th goal of the season.
Rovers took that two-goal lead into the break thanks to goals from Saunders and Apter.
Wimbledon grabbed one back eleven minutes into the second period when substitute Josh Kelly struck past Luke McGee and into the Rovers net.
John-Joe O’Toole was shown a straight red card for the visitors three minutes later for a rough challenge on Chris Merrie.
Josh Neufville forced a save out of McGee as we approached the hour mark, but the keeper got down well to his near post.
Connor Jennings made it 3-1 to Rovers on 71 minutes; a clever flick from Luke Norris set Jennings in on the keeper to score in front of the Kop once again.
With ten minutes to go, Luke Norris sent Saunders in on the keeper with another clever through ball, but Tzanev saved.
Two minutes from time, Lee O’Connor raced down the right before squaring for substitute Kristian Dennis, but the striker put it wide.
Five minutes into stoppage time, Josh Kelly pulled one back for Wimbledon to end proceedings at 3-2.
Tranmere Rovers: Luke McGee, Lee O’Connor, Ben Hockenhull, Jean Belehouan, James Norris, Rob Apter (Sam Taylor, 82), Regan Hendry, Chris Merrie (Ousmane Kane, 90+3), Harvey Saunders (Josh Hawkes, 82), Connor Jennings (C), Luke Norris (Kristian Dennis, 82).
Unused subs: Joe Murphy, Reece McAlear, Dan Pike.
AFC Wimbledon: Nik Tzanev, Jake Reeves (C), Kofi Balmer, Ryan Johnson, Ryan McLean (Josh Neufville, 8), Omar Bugiel, John-Joe O’Toole, Ronan Curtis, Jack Currie, Joe Lewis, John-Kymani Gordon (Josh Kelly, 46)
Unused subs: Max Foulkes, Lee Brown, Josh Davison, James Ball.
Attendance: 6,456.
