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Stockport County 0 Tranmere Rovers 0

Simon Smedley
29/10/2008

COUNTY battled hard throughout, but they just couldn’t find that all-important breakthrough against Tranmere last night.

Peter Thompson struck the woodwork in the second half, but Rovers held out for a point.

Jim Gannon made four changes last night, with four substitutes from Saturday - Gary Dicker, Paul Turnbull, Leon McSweeney and Michael Rose - all starting.

On a bitter evening, County soon brightened proceedings by playing with some style early on.

The trademark passing game was working well, and chances came the hosts’ way.

Skipper-for-the-night Johnny Mullins saw a looping header saved by Danny Coyne, then Dicker headed an Anthony Pilkington corner-kick inches over.

In between those efforts though, Fraser Forster superbly beat away a powerful shot from Steve Jennings.

A neat move midway through the first half culminated in Pilkington firing low and just wide, and County were well on top.

However, the next chance for either side didn’t arrive until a minute before half-time.

It was County’s, as Stephen Gleeson nodded down for Turnbull, only for the young midfielder to blaze over from 20 yards.

It was an all-action start to the second half. Mullins had to clear Bas Savage’s close-range effort off the line, but a minute later the Cheadle End was on its feet when Peter Thompson crashed a volley into the side-netting.

Just before the hour mark Thompson was mightily unlucky when he guided a shot onto the Rovers’ crossbar following a beauty of a cross in from Rose.

An acrobatic volley from Turnbull was saved by Coyne, but as the clock ticked down County just couldn’t break down a resolute Rovers’ defence, despite Andy Taylor being ordered off for picking up two bookings inside the final six minutes.

COUNTY: Forster; Rose, Mullins, McNulty, McSweeney; Rowe (Baker, 73), Turnbull, Dicker (Taylor, 66), Gleeson, Pilkington; Thompson. Subs not used: Fon Williams, Tunnicliffe, Kane.