Latics suffer second defeat of the season as Mellon tinkers

Latics fans waited just three minutes into the game to start singing Tequila, which they sang throughout the second half in this fixture last season as their side hammered the hosts 1-3. It's Tranmere's song, and this fixture isn't so much about bragging rights as Tequila rights.

They went too early and should have known better. Micky Mellon made changes from the side that drew 1-1 away at Fleetwood Town in midweek, and changes from the side that hammered Swindon Town 3-0 last Saturday. The absence of both Calum Kavanagh and Mike Fondop seemed eccentric, suggestive of overthinking, as Mellon is sometimes prone to do.

The changes were mystifying for the 2,000 Latics fans at Prenton Park, and they absolutely bamboozled Mellon's players, who were second best if that in the opening exchanges. Mat Hudson made a very good save to deny Dylan Jones after only five minutes. They went behind on 17 minutes. After a Latics attack bobbled around incoherently on the edge of the Tranmere area, it was cleared to Tom Ince in the centre circle. His first-time ball over the top was converted first time by Jones, who slid it past Hudson with time and space to burn.

Latics rallied about half an hour into the game. For the first time, they enjoyed a period of possession and methodically went about turning it into pressure. On 36 minutes, Joel Senior threw in a desperate tackle to block Favour Fawumni's effort from the edge of the six-yard box following a Gus Scott-Morriss long throw.

Five minutes later, Drummond had clear sight of goal after Keenan Appiah-Forson charged into the box, but Drummond's shot hit Will Vaulks in the face and ran out for a throw.

Mellon realised the error of his starting line-up at half time, taking Elliott Nevitt and Tom Hill off and introducing Calum Kavanagh and Mike Fondop. They had more a lot more about them in the second half.

Latics were in charge but vulnerable on the counter. Delaney didn’t catch his shot well and it lifted, bouncing on top of the bar and out. Fondop nodded a long ball to Kavanagh, who took it on his chest and volleyed it miles wide. Jones and Ince were always there though, looking to carry the ball to places where Latics didn’t want to go.

Nathan Smith got a toe on the ball to stop a Scott-Morriss cross from reaching Fondop. The ball looped to Kavanagh, whose header was brilliantly saved by Luke McGhee.

Appiah-Forson had a shot left-foot shot blocked, the ball found its way back to Norburn 30-plus yards out, whose shot was blocked. There were chances for Fondop and for Kavanagh. Tranmere got away on the counter a couple of times, two versus two.

The penalty killed it for Latics. Vaulks's long throw was heading to Joe Ironside. Scott-Morriss palmed it away, claiming that he'd been pushed. No matter. Ironside put it to Hudson's right while he dived to his left.

Tranmere Rovers: Luke McGhee, Joel Senior, Jacob Slater, Jordan Turnbull, Nathan Smith, Will Vaulks (c), Charlie Whitaker (Lee O’Connor 68), Tom Ince, Tom Conlon (Sam Finley 61), Zane Okoro (Joe Ironside 56), Dylan Jones (David Kamara 68)

Subs not used: Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Charlie Veevers, George Nevett

Oldham Athletic: Matt Hudson, Gus Scott-Morriss, Jamie Robson, Donervon Daniels, Kennan Appiah-Forson, Oliver Norburn (c), Kane Drummond, Favour Fawumni, Elliott Nevitt (Mike Fondop 46), Ryan Delaney, Tom Hill (Calum Kavanagh 46)

Subs not used: Aston Wilson, Tom Pett, Manny Monthé, Lewis Temple, Kai Payne