Tranmere Rovers secured a point with a disciplined 0-0 draw away to Exeter City on Saturday. The visitors played the final stages with ten men after Nathan Smith was sent off in the 83rd minute.
Danny Clarke's side now sit 10th in League Two with 10 points from their opening seven matches. They face a significant test next Saturday when they host second-placed Walsall at Prenton Park.
Tranmere controlled 57 percent of possession at St James Park but created few clear chances, managing just one shot on target from ten attempts. Exeter, under manager Matt Taylor, were similarly blunt in attack.
The match's major flashpoint came late on when defender Smith, who had been booked earlier for a foul, received a second yellow card. His dismissal forced Tranmere into a defensive reshuffle for the closing minutes. Midfielder Dylan Jones and full-back Jacob Slater also saw yellow cards for the visitors.
Clarke made four changes from the side that lost to Gillingham the previous week. Zane Okoro, Sam Finley, Joe Ironside and Charlie Veevers all entered the fray from the bench in the second half as the manager sought fresh impetus.
The draw extends Tranmere's recent run to just one win in their last five league outings, a sequence that includes three draws. The squad's current league position is detailed in the standings.
Attention now turns fully to preparing for the visit of high-flying Walsall.
Tranmere followed their draw at Exeter with a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury on Tuesday. Dylan Jones scored the 69th-minute winner, assisted by David Kamara. The club now sits 10th in League Two with 10 points from seven games. Manager Danny Clarke said the team showed 'good resilience to grind out a result.' Tranmere's next test is at home to second-placed Walsall on Saturday.
Exeter City's official match report confirmed the attendance at St James Park was 6,158, with 530 travelling Tranmere supporters. The report also detailed that Exeter goalkeeper Jack Bycroft made a key first-half save to deny Tom Ince. Tranmere's recent form is now WDLWD from their last five matches, following Tuesday's 1-0 win over Shrewsbury. The club sits 10th in League Two, five points behind leaders Barnet.
