Mixed Rovers Side Earn Friendly Draw at Heswall

Tuesday evening saw Tranmere come from 2-0 down to draw both of their friendly matches 2-2 away at Cammell Lairds and Heswall with mixed sides consisting of senior professionals, youth team players and trialists at both games. Here we bring you a report on the 2-2 draw at Heswall....

In increasingly difficult conditions at Gayton Park in Heswall, Tranmere’s mixed side of experience, youth and players trying to earn a contract with the Club, came from 2-0 behind to draw 2-2 thanks to goals from Ian Thomas-Moore and Dale Jennings.

The Rovers side at Heswall was overseen by Head of Youth Shaun Garnett and Les Parry’s assistant Manager Kevin Summerfield and lined up as follows (with trialists unerlined)...

Andy Coughlin

Wynter  Vaulks  Johannus-Justinussen  Bakayogo

McLaren  Power  Mouritsen

Mackreth Thomas-Moore  Jennings

The game started without rain and early on Ian Thomas-Moore attempted a lob over the advancing Heswall goalkeeper but the ball also went over the crossbar as Rovers started the better of the two sides.

Rovers defensive pairing of the excellent Will Vaulks and trialist Paul Johannus-Justinussen looked solid enough in the early stages supported by a confident looking trialist in Curtis Wynter but that did not prevent the home side from having a couple of chances on goal to counter Moore’s chance and a shot wide from Max Power.

Heswall took the lead midway through the first half though when a ball wasn’t cleared by the Rovers defence and Andy Coughlin had very little chance with his shot at the far post.  It then remained goalless until the interval as the rain began to worsen.

At half-time, trialist Christian Mouritsen (above) was replaced by Ellis Healing and he appeared to be injured as he took his place on the bench for the second half but despite a bright start to the second half from Tranmere, it was the home side who were the next to score, doubling their lead with a strike off the crossbar and into the goal after Rovers again failed to clear.

That goal seemed to wake Rovers up and through the pace of the impressive Jack Mackreth down the right and Dale Jennings through the middle, Rovers began to look more a threat all of a sudden.

Ellis Healing provided two decent crosses down the left hand side whilst the pace of Mackreth was too much for the Heswall left back at times.

Eventually, Rovers deservedly got back into the game through Ian Thomas-Moore and suddenly the game turned as Heswall’s players seemed to start panicking on the ball.

It was really no surprise then when Rovers levelled through an excellent goal by Dale Jennings who cut inside and curled the ball inside the far post similar to the point where the Heswall goal in the first half had gone in.

 Heswall Players Celebrate Their Team's Second Goal

The rest of the game was mostly Rovers threatening but the home side had their share of opportunities with Bakayogo outpaced down the left on several occasions whilst at the other end, the Heswall goalkeeper made a superb one handed save to prevent a Rovers winner.

In Rover’s other friendly tonight away at Cammell Lairds, the score also ended 2-2 and Total Tranmere hope to have a report on this game soon so keep checking back.