Tranmere Rovers are now four games without a win after a disappointing goalless draw with Stockport County.
Micky Mellon’s men have moved up to 10th place in League Two, but the teams around them have a game in hand. By next Tuesday, they could be five points off the play offs if other results go against them.
This game was evenly matched with both sides playing cautiously. Chances were hard to come by as both teams showed defensive resilience. Neither looked like scoring and ultimately cancelled each other out.
In a first half of very few chances, the most notable came for Stockport. After some neat interplay between Will Collar and Paddy Madden the ball fell for ex-Rover Calum MacDonald who blasted it, first time, straight over the bar. Soon after Kyle Wootton met a cross from the right but his header also went over the bar, not troubling Tranmere keeper Ross Doohan.
Another dangerous delivery from MacDonald followed but was not punished by the County attack. His free kick, whipped in from the right, landed at the feet of Chris Hussey who carelessly swiped his shot wide of the target.
The second half continued as the first half ended for Stockport. Wootton nodded the ball down for Myles Hippolyte, but he didn’t keep his shot down and blazed it straight over.
Tranmere equally squandered the few chances that came their way. Dacres-Cogley cut inside onto his left foot, but he couldn’t keep his shot down and it flew over the bar. With 20 minutes to go Ethan Bristow beat his man and delivered a promising low cross which nobody connected with.
Tranmere had another late chance, when Bristow again drove at the County defence, putting an appetising cross into the box that was fumbled by Stockport keeper, Ben Hinchcliffe. The ball fell neatly into the path of substitute, Lewis Paul, who put his effort agonisingly wide of the post.
Tranmere’s best chance came five minutes before the end when Kane Hemmings’ precise cross could not be converted by Kieron Morris whose header sailed over the bar.
Tranmere didn’t create enough to win the game and there are ongoing concerns about the lack of goal scoring opportunities.
Rovers now turn their attention to the FA Cup and will be looking to get revenge on a Carlisle side who beat them 2-0 in the league last weekend.
