Jake and Joss Seal Scrappy Win for Rovers

Mark Ridgway reports on Tranmere's 2-0 home win over Exeter City on Saturday afternoon after second half goals from substitutes Joss Labadie and Jake Cassidy sealed three more vital points for Rovers.......

Tranmere Rovers 2 - 0 Exeter City

                 Joss Labadie 49

                 Jake Cassidy 90

Attendance:  4,786

Tranmere moved into the top half of the table on Saturday when they defeated Exeter City 2-0 at Prenton Park.

Substitutes Joss Labadie and Jake Cassidy sealed the points with two stylish second half finishes, as Rovers made it six games unbeaten under Ronnie Moore.

After a dominant first half Labadie curled in just after the break before the win was sealed by Cassidy finishing clinically in injury time.

Rovers began the game with the same team that had defeated Rochdale away in midweek, also by two goals to nil....

Fon Williams

Holmes  Goodison  Taylor  Buchanan

Akins  Welsh  Wallace  Robinson

Showunmi  Brunt

Rovers made all the early running, with Andy Robinson coming closest firing just over from the edge of the box.

Soon after a Robinson free-kick was deflected to Ryan Brunt, but Exeter stopper Lenny Pidgeley reacted first to clear the danger before James Wallace pulled up with a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Joss Labadie.

Lauri Dalla Valle tested Owain fon Williams for the first time for the visitors on the half hour mark, whilst Ryan Brunt blasted over with the goal gaping after John Welsh’s driven cross to ensure that the first half ended goalless.

Tranmere Rovers 0 - 0 Exeter City

Soon after the break the deadlock was finally broken however when Andy Robinson broke down the centre for Tranmere before finding first half substitute Joss Labadie on the left and he cut inside and curled an unstoppable effort past Pidgeley.

Labadie nearly doubled the lead, as his free kick clipped the top of the crossbar and behind into the Kop and just before the hour mark Robinson’s cross was inexplicably headed wide by Lucas Akins when it looked easier to score, before James Dunne curled wide for the visitors.

Moments after that, Welsh cleared a Grecian chance off the line before Dunne fired the rebound off the bar and out for a throw in.

In spite of this, the home side still looked the more threatening and Brunt should have sealed the win when his shot was blocked after good work from Akins.

However in injury time it was game over as substitute Zoum Bakayogo fed Jake Cassidy down the left, he collected the ball, bent his run and curled in a classy second to seal a comfortable home victory.

Full Time: Tranmere Rovers 2 - 0 Exeter City

Ash Taylor

Yet another solid performance from the Rovers backline, and whilst Taylor has attracted criticism this season, he appears to be improving each game alongside Ian Goodison and he was a brick wall yesterday.