Crawley Town1-1Tranmere Rovers

Tranmere Rovers came from behind to draw 1-1 at Crawley Town on Saturday, with captain Will Vaulks striking eight minutes after Dylan Morgan had put the hosts ahead. It was a measured response to a difficult start to the second half, although both sides had opportunities to take all three points in the closing stages. Coming four days after the win at Northampton, the League Two point leaves Darrell Clarke's side 13th on 16 points after 13 matches, while Crawley remain bottom of the division.
Clarke set Rovers up in a 3-4-2-1, with Luke McGee behind a back three of Lee O'Connor, Bobby Faulkner and George Nevett. Joel Senior and Jacob Slater provided the width, Vaulks partnered Tom Conlon in midfield, and Joe Ironside and Tom Ince supported Dylan Jones. The afternoon began with McGee called into action almost immediately: he pushed away Morgan's shot from outside the area in the opening minute. At the other end, Jones forced Vito Mannone into a save after 11 minutes, and Mannone also held an Ince effort from the left side of the box six minutes later.
Crawley carried a threat even as Tranmere saw more of the ball. Jude Arthurs shot over after 13 minutes, and a spell around the 24-minute mark brought chances for Priestley Farquharson, Arthurs and Morgan. Rovers had Jacob Slater's attempt blocked before the interval, but the clearest late first-half openings belonged to the hosts. Stephen Duke-McKenna met a Kellan Gordon cross, only for McGee to save, and Morgan then tested the goalkeeper again. The sides went into the break goalless.
Charlie Whitaker replaced Jones at half-time, but Crawley made the breakthrough seven minutes after the restart. A free kick on the left followed Lee O'Connor's foul on Ade Adeyemo, and Morgan finished from the centre of the box into the top right corner after the resulting set piece. Rovers responded with pressure rather than letting the goal settle the contest. Ince had a shot blocked, and Clarke sent on David Kamara for Conlon in the 57th minute.
The equaliser arrived on the hour. After Crawley conceded a corner, Ince supplied Vaulks, who drove a right-footed shot from outside the area into the bottom right corner. It was an emphatic finish and a significant contribution from the captain, restoring parity before Crawley could build on their lead. Tranmere then forced further corners as they looked to turn the comeback into a victory.
The final ten minutes were open. Ironside saw a close-range header blocked after an Ince cross in the 84th minute, and Whitaker's follow-up was saved by Mannone. Vaulks fired over from the centre of the box soon afterwards. Crawley had their own late chances: McGee held Morgan's shot in the 86th minute, then made two more saves in stoppage time, denying Dion Pereira from distance and substitute Nathan Tinsdale from the left side of the area. Neither side found a winner, and Rovers left Broadfield Stadium with a point after an away performance that required both resilience and a decisive strike from Vaulks.