RYAN Lowe's 18th goal of the season earned Rovers a 2-2 draw against Oldham Athletic.

The striker headed in Tranmere's second equaliser of the match with quarter-of-an-hour remaining after Jason Koumas had earlier scored a deflected effort to bring Rovers level at half time.

There were two changes to the team that defeated Coventry City. With Matthew Pennington and Matthew Kennedy having returned to Everton, Danny Holmes and Andy Robinson started at right back and left wing respectively.

Assistant manager John McMahon was satisfied with a point: “We weren't fantastic but you've got to give Oldham credit as well.

“They've come with a game plan and were busy and bright and it was probably a good game for people to watch.

"They overloaded in midfield and have obviously looked at the areas we can hurt them.

"Credit to them, but we can do a lot better as well.

"It was a difficult afternoon but the lads dug deep and showed good character to come back twice.”

McMahon - in charge of first team affairs while manager Ronnie Moore is suspended pending the outcome of an FA betting inquiry – replaced Koumas on 70 minutes with midfielder Jake Kirby as Rovers switched to 4-4-2.

Five minutes later, Tranmere were level when Cassidy brought down a Holmes’ clearance and raced up the right wing. The striker curled in a cross with Lowe heading past the keeper from six yards.

McMahon said: "You're judged by your decisions and I wouldn't say the 4-4-2 got us a result, but I think it had a contribution.

“It needed changing. We'd gone a little bit stale and they had stifled us. It was nothing to do with Jason Koumas' performance, we just struggled finding him with the ball.

“When he was on the ball, he obviously affects the game, but we couldn't get him on it often enough.

“That was my reason behind the substitution, we felt we needed a bit more width to threaten them and when we did we had another man down the middle.

“The lads were disappointed in the dressing room with only a point and, I think, by the manner in which we didn't really perform.

“But you've got to give some credit to Oldham because offensively, they've got very good movement and they asked us a lot of questions.”

The result means Rovers are in 18th position in the league table with a tally of 36 points.

Tranmere are away to League One strugglers Stevenage on Saturday.