Tranmere Rovers 0-0 Cambridge United match report: Uninspiring League Two contest at Prenton Park ends goal-less

It was far from a good advert for League Two football at Prenton Park this afternoon as Tranmere Rovers and Cambridge United played out a 0-0 draw.

While the visiting U’s were dominant in terms of the possession, passes completed and attempts, ultimately they registered just a single shot on target across the course of the 90 minutes – as did their hosts.

It was a turgid first half that will not live long in the memory of those that witnessed it. While visiting Cambridge were able to muster one of their five attempts on target, at the other end of the pitch their goalkeeper Jake Eastwood was largely redundant as Tranmere failed to register a single shot on or off target.

Meanwhile, the only piece of work for 44-year-old Tranmere goalkeeper Joe Murphy to do came in the 38th minute when Kell Watts kept Sullay Kaikai’s inswinging corner alive and Dom Ball’s subsequent headed effort was palmed to safety.

Whatever the two managers said to their respective sides during the half-time interval, it had very little impact. It took until the hour mark for the first shot of the second half – and it was Tranmere’s first of the contest. However, it was very much in keeping with the rest of the game up until that point as Richard Smallwood’s effort from 25 yards out dribbled harmlessly wide.

Moments later there was big Tranmere appeals for a penalty when substitute Sol Solomon went down inside the box under a challenge from Watts, but referee Adam Herczeg dismissed those calls.

Cambridge eventually showed some attacking intent of their own in the 70th minute after Adam Mayor’s pass sent Kylian Kouassi away down the left hand side and once his shot had been charged down, substitute Shayne Lavery’s close-range strike on the swivel was deflected behind for a corner.

As the encounter limped towards the 90-minute mark Tranmere had a couple of pot-shots from distance, but Nohan Kenneh’s strike was comfortably held by Eastwood – their only attempt on target – while Patrick Brough’s shot was always rising.

Tranmere Rovers: Murphy, Smith, Turnbull, Brough, Norman, Joseph (Solomon 46’), Smallwood, Kenneh, Whitaker (Davison 66’), Patrick, Ironside (Jennings 81’)

Cambridge United: Eastwood, Gibbons, Morrison, Watts, Purrington, Ball, Mpanzu, Kachunga (Lavery 57’), Kaikai (Brophy 72’), Mayor, Kouassi