Exeter City0-0Tranmere Rovers

Tranmere Rovers left St James Park with a point after a goalless League Two draw against Exeter City, a game in which chances were limited but both goalkeepers were called upon at important moments. Darrell Clarke set Rovers up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Dylan Jones leading the line and Tom Ince among the players supporting him. Harrison Male made the saves that preserved the clean sheet, while Ince had Tranmere's clearest opportunities before the interval.
Rovers threatened early. Ince sent a left-footed effort from outside the area wide in the 14th minute, before Exeter began to find openings of their own. Reece Cole fired just past the right-hand post after a corner, and Josh Gordon headed a Cole delivery towards goal in the 19th minute. Male saved that attempt to keep the scores level. Joel Senior needed treatment soon afterwards, but was able to continue.
The best spell of first-half pressure for Tranmere came around the half-hour. Jones supplied Ince in the centre of the box and the forward forced Jack Bycroft into a save low to his right. Jordan Davies shot wide from distance and Ince twice missed the target before the break, first from outside the area and then from the right side of the box. Exeter also had Gordon head wide from a Charlie Cummins cross, but neither side found a finish and the teams went in level.
There was little more space after half-time. Davies had a shot blocked on the hour and Clarke introduced Zane Okoro in his place two minutes later. Jones was booked in the 65th minute, after Nathan Smith had received a first-half yellow card. Jacob Slater would also be cautioned in the 75th minute. Male dealt with a Reece Cole shot from outside the box as Exeter tried to make the breakthrough. With 19 minutes left, Clarke made two further changes: Sam Finley replaced Tom Conlon and Joe Ironside came on for Jones.
The final quarter offered a few openings without changing the score. Okoro saw a shot blocked, while Will Vaulks fired high and wide from range. At the other end, Ed James missed from outside the area, then tested Male with a close-range header from a Cole cross in the 85th minute. The goalkeeper kept it out and conceded a corner. Exeter had another headed chance from James moments later, but he could not direct it on target.
Charlie Veevers replaced Charlie Whitaker late on, and Tranmere still sought a winner. In the 90th minute, Finley met an Ince pass in the centre of the box, only for his shot to be blocked. The travelling side had kept working for a breakthrough even as clear chances grew scarce. That proved the last notable opening as the match ended 0-0. The point was enough to leave Rovers 10th in the League Two table on 10 points from seven matches; Exeter were 20th with six points from seven. For Tranmere, the clean sheet and an away point were the tangible rewards from a tightly contested afternoon in Devon.