Tranmere Rovers1-1Rochdale

Tranmere Rovers drew 1-1 with Rochdale at Prenton Park in League Two after Tom Conlon's early strike was cancelled out by Dajaune Brown. Darrell Clarke's side led for more than 40 minutes, but could not turn their first-half opportunities or a late effort against the crossbar into a winning goal. The point leaves Rovers with six draws from their opening ten league matches.
Clarke set Tranmere up in a 4-2-3-1, with Dylan Jones ahead of David Kamara, Tom Ince and Charlie Whitaker. The hosts made the brighter start. Whitaker twice drew saves from Nils Ramming in the opening 12 minutes, first with a shot from outside the area and then from a central position inside it. Cian Hayes sent Rochdale's first notable attempt wide shortly afterwards, but Tranmere had already found a way to trouble the visiting goalkeeper.
The breakthrough came in the 15th minute. Will Vaulks supplied Conlon outside the box and the midfielder sent a left-footed shot into the top corner. It was the clearest reward for an assertive opening spell, and Tranmere had chances to build on it before half-time. A fast break in the 38th minute brought efforts from Whitaker, who shot wide, and Ince, who put a close-range attempt over. Jones then missed to the right from a Kamara cross and to the left after another break in added time. Rovers therefore went in only 1-0 ahead despite having created several openings.
The home side continued to look for a second goal after the interval. Attempts by Ince and Kamara were blocked, while Jones fired high and wide from outside the box. Rochdale, however, found their equaliser in the 57th minute. Charlie Tasker provided the final ball and Brown scored with a right-footed finish from the right side of the six-yard box. Brown nearly added another three minutes later, heading narrowly wide from a Tasker cross.
Clarke sent on Charlie Veevers for Kamara in the 66th minute, and Tranmere came within inches of regaining the lead almost immediately. Whitaker set up Ince, whose left-footed strike from outside the area hit the underside of the crossbar. It was the outstanding chance of the second half and a reminder that Rovers could still win a game that had begun to swing between the sides.
Conlon tested Ramming again from distance in the 81st minute before Joe Ironside replaced Jones. At the other end, Rochdale's Tasker drove narrowly wide after a corner, and Baba Adeeko had an effort blocked. Veevers saw a shot from the centre of the box blocked in the 90th minute. Ince had the final Tranmere attempt in stoppage time, but his shot went wide following a set piece.
Neither side could find a winner. For Tranmere, the frustration was in the chances they did not convert while ahead and Ince's near miss after the equaliser. The draw extended their winless league run to five matches. On the post-match League Two table, Rovers stood 13th with 12 points from ten games; Rochdale were 10th with 14 points and had extended their unbeaten run to five.