Tranmere Rovers3-1Cheltenham Town

Tranmere Rovers recovered from a first-minute blow to beat Cheltenham Town 3-1 at Prenton Park in League Two, with Dylan Jones scoring twice before Charlie Whitaker capped a remarkable first-half turnaround. Cheltenham led almost from kick-off through Charlie McCann, but Rovers were level after 23 minutes, ahead after 39 and two goals clear by the interval. For Darrell Clarke's side, it was a first home win since early September and an emphatic answer to the worst possible start.
The visitors struck in the opening minute. Jake Evans supplied McCann, whose right-footed finish from the centre of the box beat Luke McGee to put Cheltenham in front. Tranmere's response took a little time to arrive, but Jordan Turnbull forced Wyll Stanway into a save with a header from Will Vaulks's delivery in the ninth minute. Rovers, set up in a 4-4-1-1, had begun to give Cheltenham something to defend.
Jacob Slater then provided the pass for Jones to equalise in the 23rd minute. The midfielder finished left-footed from the centre of the area into the bottom right corner, wiping out Cheltenham's early advantage. McCann later had a shot blocked as the visitors looked to regain the lead, while Jake Evans was booked after a foul on Vaulks that briefly held up play.
The decisive swing came before half-time. With Vaulks's attempt blocked a minute earlier, Jones struck again in the 39th minute, this time finding the bottom left corner with a left-footed shot from outside the box. Cheltenham's McCann fired over from the centre of the area, but it was Tranmere who found another goal. After Stanway saved an earlier effort from Whitaker, Tom Ince set him up in first-half stoppage time and Whitaker drove a right-footed shot from outside the box high into the net. A match Cheltenham had led after a minute was 3-1 to Rovers at the break.
Clarke replaced the booked Turnbull with Nathan Smith at half-time, but Tranmere's attacking intent carried over. Stanway saved from Jones almost immediately after the restart, then denied Whitaker from the left side of the box. Around the hour, Ince had a close-range effort saved and Whitaker shot over. Tom Conlon was booked in the 60th minute as the game settled, yet Rovers continued to fashion the clearer openings.
Cheltenham made changes in search of a route back, with George Nurse and George Miller introduced in the 68th minute and Jake Bickerstaff following later. Evans had shots blocked as the visitors pressed, while Whitaker's header from Vaulks's cross was saved at the other end. Jones went close again before Lee O'Connor replaced him in the 89th minute. McGee made a late save from Evans, but the two-goal cushion held to the final whistle.
The victory gives Tranmere 19 points from 14 games and leaves them 11th in the League Two table imported after the match. Cheltenham sit fifth on 21 points after their defeat. More than the positions, this was a welcome home response: Jones turned an immediate setback into a lead, and Whitaker's stoppage-time finish gave Rovers the margin to see out the second half.