HARTLEPOOL UTD..................0

TRANMERE ROVERS................0

(Att: 3,245)

TRANMERE Rovers gained a point at Victoria Park after a goalless draw against Hartlepool Utd - but manager Rob Edwards felt it was a game his side could have won.

Rovers created the better chances, hitting the woodwork through Abdulai Baggie, and Edwards was pleased to see his side keep a clean sheet for the second time this season.

There were two changes to the team that started at Accrington Stanley a week earlier, with Owain Fon Williams returning in goal from international duty to take the place of Peter Brezovan in goal and Matt Gill - promoted to assistant manager earlier in the week - coming in for James Rowe in midfield.

George Donnelly and Matthias Fanimo were named on the substitutes' bench for the first time.

In a blistering opening minute, Rovers' captain Max Power missed with an angled shot from the right of the Hartlepool area before Fon Williams had to race off his line to clear the ball from the path of Charlie Wyke.

On nine minutes, Cole Stockton fired wide across goal after receiving the ball from Baggie inside the area and the striker's attempt at chipping Scot Flinders hit the 'keeper after latching on to an underhit back-pass.

At the other end Michael Ihiekwe cleared a cross away from the head of Wyke at the back post and Danny Holmes ended a break from Jack Compton.

Stockton headed into Flinders' hands from a Laird cross on 21 minutes, while Ryan Brobbel shot past the post after running behind Rovers' defence just minutes later.

The final chance of the half fell to Stockton following a goalmouth scramble but his powerfully struck low effort went inches past the post.

After the restart Marc Laird headed wide from a Baggie cross five minutes in, and Richards fired high and wide soon after from a Stockton knock-down.

Substitute Donnelly turned and fired goalwards on 88 minutes only for his effort to deflect behind for a corner and the striker fired over in added time after cutting in from the right.

The manager said: "We're delighted with the clean sheet but I'm looking back to last week and thinking we could have won both of these away games, but have come away with a point.

"The clean sheet is the thing to be pleased with today.

"The players were on the front foot more, and we were more of a team than I thought we were at Accrington.

"There are still things to work at. We've got players with a lot of ability but we need to be more of a team.

"We needed Gilly on the pitch today. His know-how is vital and we need that because we've got a young side.

"On the coach on the way here we watched Man City play Arsenal and I spoke to the players about how well organised they are defensively and out of possession.

"That is key to any team. We constantly need to be looking at what we're doing when we haven't got the ball and when it goes out of play."

The result saw Tranmere gain a place in the League Two table to 14th position on eight points with seven games played.

Rovers now have back-to-back home games coming up.

Newport County travel to Prenton Park for an evening kick-off this Tuesday, and on Saturday Tranmere host struggling Exeter City, who have yet to win in the league this season.