Nigel Adkins was left frustrated after his Tranmere Rovers side reached their third consecutive game without a goal.
They welcomed Salford City to Prenton Park on Friday night, with goalkeeper Luke McGee being the difference maker in securing a point for the Wirral club. It was a tough night in front of goal, with 16 shots taken but Jamie Jones made six stops in order to keep parity.
The former Portsmouth and Peterborough United goalie made three saves, preventing Conor McAleny, Haji Mnoga and Ossama Ashley from putting City in front. Saidou Khan could have grabbed a winner if not for the efforts of Jones to make a double save.
It is a result which puts Rovers into 15th in League Two, with all the teams below them playing today bar Accrington Stanley. Should results go against them, they could slip as far down as 21st by the end of play.
Speaking to the media following the game, Nigel Adkins was unhappy with the result. He said (Quotes via Wirral Globe): “It’s disappointing and feels like a bit of a defeat.
“I thought we started well and you’ve always got to be happy with a clean sheet the way the last two games have gone, so that’s a positive.
“Both sides had to compete and it’s fair to say that we did compete. We had 16 shots and 23 crosses and had the opportunities to score. We know we’re not scoring goals so we have to address that.
“It was a different approach to the last two games and that was there for everyone to see, but it wasn’t really the game we wanted and the quality has got to be better.
“I feel the same as the supporters, I want us to go and score, I want us to go and win and I want us to be exciting on a Friday night at Prenton Park and, even though we’ve got the point and the clean sheet, I’m disappointed.”
Yet another game without scoring means it has been 243 minutes since Tranmere last found the net with Omari Patrick’s second goal of the game against Carlisle United. Patrick is the only player to score in League Two for his side this season, also converting in a win over Walsall.
It was an inevitable scoreline when viewing the two club’s records this season, with both in the bottom two of goals scored across the league season. Rovers have only scored three times, with two coming in that win over the Cumbrians, whilst Salford have netted one more.
Adkins will now lead his team into a game on Tuesday night at home against Swindon Town, who have failed to win at Prenton Park since 2019.
Writer’s View
Tranmere Rovers did have the run of the game in terms of chances and perhaps were unlucky not to score. Jamie Jones showed why Salford took a chance with him and has delivered in a game where the goalkeepers were each side’s best player. Scoring is now quickly becoming a concern for Nigel Adkins with neither Harvey Saunders or Luke Norris finding the net so far in the league.
Salford City will also feel they could have won that game, but it is yet another positive for Karl Robinson’s side. They created plenty of opportunities which had been a struggle for them, especially at home. If they can translate last night’s performance when they face Newport County on Tuesday night they will be three points richer for it. However losing Ryan Watson is a blow, but with Ben Woodburn, Conor McAleny and Matty Lund, they have good enough cover until he returns.
Football journalist with The Real EFL since 2023. A 2024 Multimedia Journalism graduate from the University of Salford, Lewis specialises in Salford City FC and EFL coverage.
