Report: Tranmere Rovers 4-0 Iron

United were beaten 4-0 at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday afternoon.

The Iron entered the game making one change from the side that faced Carlisle United, with the departed Ryan Loft replaced in the team by Dan Gallimore for his first ever league start.

After two minutes, there was positive early play from the Iron with Tom Pugh and Gallimore working together in the heart of midfield. Devarn Green got the ball down the channel, with Mason O’Malley chasing, but he couldn't keep the ball in play.

Straight after, there was a first advance for the hosts down the left channel, but the low cross into the area was watched by Rory Watson as it went wide and into the side-netting.

Green and Myles Hippolyte then combined before the latter looked to put Harry Bunn in on goal. He made a good run, but the ball was intercepted and cushioned back to Ross Doohan in the Tranmere goal.

On six minutes, Calum MacDonald clearly held Hippolyte back as he looked to break through and latch onto a through ball. No free-kick was given from the referee, or the assistant on the nearside.

Then, Hippolyte thought he’d broken the offside trap and through on goal as he took down the ball and shaped to shoot. Peter Clarke came through him and fouled him, but the offside flag was up to prevent a penalty being awarded.

A swift counter attack from the Iron saw Gallimore nip in to win the ball. Hackney then played into Bunn who sidestepped the lunge from Jay Spearing. Pugh was then dispossessed just on the edge of the area as he cut inside.

With 18 minutes gone, the hosts doubled up on the right and managed to fire in a cross which George Taft headed clear before Green volleyed away. A shot a few moments later on the left foot from 25-yards was beaten away by Watson, with Green clearing any possible rebound.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Josh Dacres-Cogley cut in from 25-yards on his left foot and fired an effort over the bar for the hosts.

However, they did go ahead just threee minutes later when Charlie Jolley slotted in a left-footed effort from the edge of the area.

Four minutes after the goal, Jai Rowe persisted to get inside the area, with Bunn twice having shots blocked by Elliott Nevitt from the edge of the box.

On 29 minutes, the first yellow card of the game went to Taft as Jolley went down in a heap as he looked to get in down the right channel.

From the resultant free-kick, Watson saved as the header was angled towards goal. He distributed quickly and the Iron counter-attacked and won a corner at the other end.

Hackney’s corner was whipped in towards Rowe, who got a glancing touch on the ball before it was turned behind for another corner.

The hosts cleared the corner and broke, with the move culminating in Elliott Nevitt rifling a 20-yard effort into the top corner of the net.

The next chance of the game came in the 43rd minute when Watson grasped an effort on target from the hosts as a corner was prodded towards goal by Tom Davies.

Straight away at the other end, Green, Hippolyte and Hayden Hackney combined, with the latter fed into space before playing across for O’Malley. His low drive was saved by Doohan.

At the half-time break, United made a substitution as Aaron Jarvis replaced Pugh.

Watson was drawn into an early save in the second period as he got down low to his right to push behind Jolley’s effort for a corner, which was dealt with, but soon after Jolley sent a left-footed effort wide of the target.

The 52nd minute saw a chance for the hosts as the ball was lifted over Watson, with the effort goalbound, but Taft cleared the ball off the line for a corner - which Watson gathered.

With 58 minutes played, loanee Sam Burns came on for his debut, replacing Gallimore.

Four minutes later, Rowe was afforded time and space from 35-yards to have a go, with his effort going wide of the target.

With 72 minutes gone there was a big chance to halve the deficit as a low cross came in from the right. Hackney diverted the ball goalwards, but the hosts stood firm and got the ball away from danger.

Two minutes later, O’Malley fed in a ball to Bunn, who then fizzed the ball across for Hackney. He slid in, but the ball was taken off his toe by MacDonald for a corner.

The delivery from the corner was headed away. Green saw his shot blocked before Taft looked to tee up a teammate inside the box, but Tranmere cleared and the hosts broke, with Sam Foley lifting the ball over Watson to add a third.

There was a final Scunthorpe alteration straight after, as Alfie Beestin came on for Hippolyte.

Not long after, Bunn latched onto a ball over the top before drawing Ross Doohan into a save down to his left.

On 82 minutes, the hosts had a further chance as substitute Paul Glatzel forced Watson into a save low down to his right.

With one minute of normal time left, Tranmere added a fourth as substitute Ryan Watson slotted home from close range to finish the scoring off.

Scunthorpe return to action next Saturday when they make the trip to face Exeter City.

TRANMERE: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Clarke, Davies, MacDonald, McPake (Foley, 64), Spearing, O'Connor, Feeney, Jolley (Watson, 87), Nevitt (Glatzel, 78).

TRANMERE SUBS NOT USED: Murphy, Hayde, Maguire.

IRON: Watson, O'Malley, Taft, Green, Hippolyte (Beestin, 76), Rowe, Bunn, Pugh (Jarvis, 45), Davis, Hackney, Gallimore (Burns, 58).

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Billson, Millen, Kenyon, Lewis.

ATTENDANCE: 6,056 (273 away).