Salford City 1-5 Tranmere Rovers

In an enthralling encounter at the Peninsula Stadium, Tranmere Rovers delivered a performance to remember, sweeping aside Salford City with an emphatic 5-1 victory. The match kicked off with both sides immediately showing their attacking intent, Salford's Matthew Lund narrowly missing an opportunity in the 3rd minute, after an industrious cross from Ethan Ingram, setting the tone for an action-packed first half.

Tranmere's response was swift and relentless, asserting their attacking prowess early on. The intense pressure paid off in the 12th minute when Harvey Saunders found the back of the net with a nifty left-footed finish to the bottom right corner, courtesy of an assist by Kieron Morris. The visitors' momentum continued unhampered, and before long, in the 35th minute, Kieron Morris himself doubled Tranmere's lead with a clinical strike from the left side of the box.

As Salford briefly threatened to claw back into the game – Conor McAleny forcing a save and Lund having an effort blocked – Tranmere stood firm. Then, transforming defense into a swift counter-attack, Connor Jennings added a third goal in the 50th minute, leaving the Salford defense in tatters. The hosts did manage to regain some hope with Lund finding redemption for his earlier miss with a stellar strike in the 55th minute to cut the deficit, sparking brief chants from the home supporters.

However, Tranmere's confidence was unwavering, and in the 64th minute, Regan Hendry's superb finish restored the three-goal cushion. The encounter turned sour for Salford as Conor McAleny received his marching orders with a second yellow card in the 72nd minute, dashing any lingering hopes of a comeback.

With the match winding down, Tranmere capitalized on their numerical advantage, stamping their authority with a conclusive fifth goal in injury time through Josh Hawkes. The crowd, still roaring their approval, celebrated as the final whistle confirmed a dominant performance by Tranmere Rovers, who walked away with a stunning 5-1 victory, leaving their supporters in jubilant spirits and the Salford crowd in stunned silence.